Name Change Announcement

April 17, 2019

To Our Coffee Community,

When we founded Kickapoo Coffee in 2005, we chose our name with the intention of honoring the place where our business has its roots: the Kickapoo River Valley. But Kickapoo is not simply the name given to a river. The Kickapoo are a People.

The Kickapoo Nation is composed of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, and the Mexican-Kickapoos. By using “Kickapoo,” we claimed a name that was never ours to take. The decision to use their name, and to continue to roast under it, was an act of appropriation. In an effort to right that wrong, we have decided to change our name.

We have apologized directly to the Kickapoo Nation and have shared our decision to change our name with their leadership.

This announcement is just the first step. We are dedicated to educating ourselves and approaching this work with humility and vulnerability. It is our intention to hold space for a thoughtful dialogue. As a company committed to social justice and the pursuit of a more fair and equitable world, we recognize that this work begins with us.

We do not have a new name to share at this time, and we will continue to operate under the name Kickapoo Coffee until January of 2020.

This name change reflects a desire to hold ourselves accountable. It is not the result of a change in ownership or management. We are still the same people, roasting the same coffee, committed to the same values.

A pride in the place where we live, roast, and raise our families remains at the heart of what we do. Our new name will better reflect this in an honest, authentic, and respectful manner. We do not know what our new name will be yet, but we will continue to share updates with you. We welcome your questions, comments, thoughts, and concerns as we move forward in this process.