Australian roaster Proud Mary Coffee has raised more than US$500,000 in crowdfunding investment to expand its presence in the United States.
The café and roaster was initially founded in Melbourne in 2009, with Founders Nolan and Shari Hirte making the move to the United States with their family in 2017.
Its Collingwood site remains and was recently named as the fourth-best café in the world on the Top 100 Best Coffee Shops list, which also included fellow Australian cafés Toby’s Estate Sydney and Coffee Anthology in the top 10.
The crowdfunding campaign, which kicked off in early June on capital market site StartEngine, has since surpassed $600,000 from more than 120 investors at the time of writing.
Proud Mary released a statement on social media regarding the immense response to the investment drive, labelling it humbling and exciting.
“We’re beyond stoked – and honestly humbled – by the wild support from our community,” the company says.
“This is just the beginning. With this crowdfunding raise, we’re looking to keep doing what we love – bringing Proud Mary to more people in more places, without losing what makes us, us.”
Since its foundation, Proud Mary says it has surpassed $100 million in lifetime revenue and served more than four million customers.
“In 2009, we opened a humble café in Melbourne with one big idea: coffee can be a force for good. Built on love for people, quality, and connection, Proud Mary has grown into a global brand, but our mission has stayed the same,” Founders Nolan and Shari say.
“In 2017 we moved to the US with our two young kids and a dream: to bring something new to the table; a high-end breakfast and coffee experience delivered with heart, hustle, and hospitality. Thanks to this incredible community, that dream took flight.
“This is about building something bigger; expanding access, deepening relationships at origin, and creating new opportunities to share what we love with the world.”
The StartEngine campaign offers a range of investment options from $500 to $50,000.
