Sprudge: PT's Coffee Acquires San Diego's Bird Rock

By Zac Cadwalader

Big news in the specialty coffee roasting world as Topeka, Kansas’s PT’s Coffee Roasters has acquired Bird Rock Coffee Roasters of San Diego. Officially taking effect January 31^st, the merger will allow PT’s to take a primary leadership role and financial stake in Bird Rock Coffee Roasters,” according to the press release.

PT’s and Bird Rock are both highly lauded within the industry, each winning Roast Magazine’s Roaster of the Year (Macro Roaster in 2009 and Micro Roaster in 2012, respectively). With financial backing from PT’s the goal of the merger is “to further develop the retail and wholesale efforts of the Bird Rock Coffee Roasters brand” outside San Diego.

According to the press release the merger is based, at least in part, in the two company’s similar direct trade philosophies. “That’s what makes this the perfect fit,” PT’s CEO and co-founder Jeff Taylor states. “PT’s was one of the pioneers of the Direct Trade model of purchasing and Bird Rock successfully built itself around the same principals.”

This like-mindedness is evidenced by the fact that, while Taylor will be moving to San Diego to lead Bird Rock operations (Bird Rockerations, if you will), Bird Rock founder Chuck Patton is not simply going out to pasture but will move into the role of Head Coffee Buyer for both brands.

It remains to be seen how the merger will affect the roasters’ output—the coffee—specifically Bird Rock’s. But early indications seem to show that PT’s will still be PT’s and Bird Rock will be Bird Rock, but just with a little extra capital. Still no word on if Taylor will be buying his own surfboard or just borrowing Patton’s while he is off at origin.

The full press release can be seen here.

Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.