Worcester Business Journal

14 Worcester Business Journal | May 4, 2026 | wbjournal.com BY MICA KANNER-MASCOLO Special to WBJ W hen the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Worcester coffee manufacturer Good As Gold Coffee lost 85% of its sales almost overnight. Suddenly, the 50-year-old, fami- ly-owned specialty coffee roaster saw all of its restaurant accounts close, forcing Dan Goldman to change his business model, quickly. Goldman and his father founded Good As Gold in 1969. Ever since, the company has sold directly to busi- nesses, wholesaling coffee beans to the likes of cafés, restaurants, and banks. at model held steady until 2020. "COVID threw the world in a loop, and our business," Goldman said. In response, the company over- hauled its website and leaned into direct-to-consumer sales in a way it never had before, building out a new revenue stream that has since recouped that 85% loss. Now, the company is ready to expand. "COVID brought specialty coffee home for a lot of people," said Peter Giuliano, senior advisor at the California-based Specialty Coffee Association. e demand has only in- creased, with 46% of American adults reporting they had specialty coffee in the past day, according to the National Coffee Association, based in New York City. Now back on steady ground, Good As Gold is roasting coffee up to six days a week at its 13,000-square-foot facility on Green Street. With more than 2,000 accounts nationwide, the 18-employee company is adapting to a shiing coffee market by doubling down on quality and a relation- ship-driven approach to growth. Diversified offerings Even when businesses started or- dering again from Good As Gold aer the height of the pandemic, most did not come back in full force, said Mike Goldman, Dan's son and part owner. With hybrid and remote work, some accounts only came back at 20% of the capacity they once were. As a result, the manufacturer built out its distribution model to provide a wider range of products to those remaining businesses. In addition to its own coffee, the company whole- sales products like Mighty Leaf Tea selections, Dr. Smoothie drinks, specialty syrups, and chocolate and milk powders. Good As Gold leaned into promot- ing its air roasting method. e com- pany switched from a traditional drum roaster to an air roaster in 2015, using hot air to li and circulate the beans instead of roasting them in a heated metal drum. is approach typically produces a more consistent roast, with less risk of scorching the beans. is process helped attract the College of the Holy Cross in Worces- ter, including Director of Hospitality Operations Marty Dudek. Holy Cross began using Good As Gold coffee shortly aer the instal- lation of its air roaster. Today, the college buys an average of 350 pounds of coffee per month during the school PHOTO | MATT WRIGHT Coffee comeback Hit hard by COVID, Good As Gold evolved its business model and is preparing to expand Peter Giuliano, senior advisor at Specialty Coffee Association FOCUS S M A L L B U S I N E S S Mike (left) and Dan Goldman are gearing up to expand Good As Gold's operations with a bigger roaster, larger facility,and more employees.

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