The Limited Offer
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, the 45-plus-unit Hawaiian coffee franchise, launched its annual Give a Hoof donkey-rescue campaign on Aug. 3, running through the end of the month with a new limited-edition SKU and a $20,000 fundraising target. The centerpiece is the Viejo blend — a small-batch bag named after a rescued donkey and priced at $25, with $5 from each sale directed to sanctuary partners. Bags are available online and at participating franchise locations while supplies last.
The campaign also introduces a round-up mechanic at the forecourt — guests can round up in-store purchases at participating locations throughout August — and accepts direct donations online and in-store. Iain Douglas, Chief Brand & Strategy Officer at Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, called Viejo "a new element to our program to raise more funds" and highlighted the blend's connection to Oscar's Place, a California-based rescue run by co-founder Ron King.
Three Sanctuaries, One Goal
Proceeds are split across three organizations: returning partners Longhopes Donkey Shelter in Colorado and Leilani Farm Sanctuary in Hawaii, plus Oscar's Place, the new California addition. The multi-sanctuary model mirrors a broader trend in specialty-coffee franchising, where cause-marketing programs tied to a brand's origin story are increasingly used to drive traffic, repeat visits, and loyalty engagement — particularly from younger café guests who prioritize brand values alongside product quality.
"Donkeys are intelligent, emotional animals, and far too many of them end up abandoned or at risk," said Ron King, Co-Founder of Oscar's Place. "Every dollar raised means more donkeys get the food, shelter and care they need."
Franchise Growth Context
Give a Hoof sits under the brand's philanthropic arm, Bad Ass For Good, which focuses on community support ranging from service members to the animals that inspired the brand's 1989 Big Island origins. With more than 100 additional shops in various stages of development and an announced push into grocery, hospitality, and specialty retail channels, the campaign also functions as a brand-awareness vehicle during a period of active franchise expansion. For c-store operators and foodservice buyers watching the specialty-coffee segment, the Viejo blend is a textbook limited-time-offer execution — scarcity-driven, cause-linked, and priced at a premium that reinforces the Hawaiian-origin positioning rather than competing on value. The brand's mobile app, available on Apple and Google platforms, supports in-store and digital participation for loyalty members throughout the campaign.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
