Darlene Scherer, a longtime coffee expert and marketing expert, has launched a new coffee-focused consulting and marketing firm called Black Sheep.
Working with a strategic team of graphic designers, developers, photographers, and other business professionals, Mr. Scheller will lead the company's business after more than 20 years of executive and operational leadership in the specialty coffee industry. We provide the bulk of our coffee expertise.
“Running a coffee business today is difficult,” Scherer recently told DCN. “The world is crowded and consumer trends are changing. What worked five years ago doesn't work today.”
Scherer said the consultancy provides branding and marketing, product development, coffee shop and roastery operations, and a wide range of customized services related to business.
One of the company's key selling points is the founder's experience in the coffee space. Scheller founded Brooklyn, New York-based Gorilla His Coffee in 2002 and spent more than a decade building the company. Mr. Scherer founded Brooklyn's Super Crown His Coffee in 2014 and has since pivoted into a consultant role for his brand of numerous well-known alternative milks and coffees.
“We are somewhere between an agency and an accelerator, and collaboration and connections to the coffee industry are our biggest strengths,” Scherer said. “We know this industry firsthand, so we won’t waste any time.”
Scherer said the specialty coffee industry continues to grow globally, and Black Sheep targets companies looking to grow, whether it's developing or expanding a new product line or expanding into a different product category. He noted that the company is an “emerging to mid-sized” coffee company.
“The specialty coffee industry is my home, and coffee enthusiasts are my people,” Scherer said. “Helping independents is what drives me. ”
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