Pay-what-you-want coffee shop Downtown Credo (Facebook | Website) has recently transitioned from a 501 c 3 into a majority-owned benefit corporation.
Founder and CEO Ben Hoyer told Bungalower in an emailed statement that,
“The most important thing is that our mission and programming is staying the same. We still want folks to own their place in the supply chain and give them the chance to decide what they’ll pay. We’ll pay taxes differently and are becoming a majority-employee-owned company.”
The name-your-price payment structure that allows customers to intentionally decide what role they play in the global coffee system will remain in place.
The local chain opened in 2010 with one location in College Park but has since expanded to three other locations; Florida Hospital, North Quarter, and Church Street Exchange.
Outside of paying coffee farmers a fair price for their beans, Downtown Credo also reportedly uses a large portion of their profits to support a number of community efforts, including the annual Orlando Together Parade and Rally Makers; an accelerator for local social entrepreneurs.
