Premium Coffee Franchise Earns Inc. Recognition for Standout Growth in 2026
DENVER, Aug. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, a renowned coffee franchise recognized for its premium Hawaiian coffees, strong community connections, and adventurous spirit, today announced it has been ranked No. 4034 on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list, the annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The list is the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s most successful independent and entrepreneurial businesses, recognizing companies that have achieved remarkable growth while driving innovation, creating jobs, and shaping the future of the economy.
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii has achieved remarkable growth and strong performance in 2026, with 12 anticipated new store openings in 2026 along with a current 28% year-over-year increase in systemwide sales. Nontraditional development continues to play a central role in that momentum, giving the brand a broader set of tools to fill in territory as it scales nationally.
“Landing on the Inc. 5000 reflects the discipline behind how we’ve been growing,” said Tom Wylie, President and Chief Operating Officer of Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii. “Our franchisees are operators first, and the conversation keeps coming back to flexibility. A traditional café anchors a market, but a nontraditional location extends the brand into traffic patterns a single café can’t capture. That optionality is how we accelerate development with multi-unit operators driving our growth, and it’s a big part of what put us on this list.”
This year’s Inc. 5000 recognizes a new class of companies redefining what growth looks like. From AI and advanced manufacturing to healthcare, consumer products, and professional services, these businesses are expanding their impact, creating jobs and proving that entrepreneurial ambition continues to fuel the U.S. economy. Among the 5,000 companies on the list, the median three-year revenue growth rate was 130%, and those companies have collectively added more than 627,208 jobs to the U.S. economy over the past three years.
According to Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii’s 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, the brand has continued to build momentum in unit-level performance across the system, with 44% of stores exceeding the average unit volume.* Combined with a traditional café pipeline concentrated on the East Coast and across Florida, the expanding nontraditional unit count positions the brand to accelerate development with the multi-unit partners driving its growth.
