As more coffee competitors arise, NM Piñon Coffee expands with new look

After more than 30 years in business, New Mexico Piñon Coffee is seeking a continued evolution with a new look, a new coffee product and, soon, a new location.

The roaster launched a rebrand and new product on Tuesday — a move that comes as the company looks to maintain relevance in an ever-saturated coffee market.

Its well-known red and yellow color scheme remains, but a new logo and more modern aesthetic aims to refresh the brand, company officials said. The company is applying its rebrand to all products and stores, including a future Wyoming and Menaul location, set to open this summer.

The rebrand is “still very much inspired by New Mexico ... but just with a modern take,” said Madison Rumbaugh, the company’s director of business development.

New Mexico Piñon Coffee, one of the state’s largest coffee roasters, first launched its java journey in 1994 out of the bed of a pickup truck, according to its website. Today, the roaster serves its coffee products at four locations across Albuquerque and Rio Rancho and in markets throughout the United States.

The company is integrating its new logo design in packaging — from coffee bags to cold brew K-cups — and at its coffee houses. All locations will rebrand from “Piñon Coffee House” to “New Mexico Piñon Coffee.” Rumbaugh said the rebrand could take a year to execute across all locations.

“We’re really wanting this to bring unity across all package lines,” Rumbaugh said.

New Mexico Piñon Coffee President Matthew Bregar said in a statement to the Journal that the uniformity across products and locations “not only strengthens the brand but provides better concept clarity for our company as a whole.”

The company plans to open its next location at a former Twisters Burgers and Burritos at 2235 Wyoming NE, Rumbaugh said. The coffee group started leasing the spot on Feb. 1 and local contractor JP3 Solutions is renovating the 2,180-square-foot space.

The location will likely open late this summer, Rumbaugh added.

“We have been slowly expanding in the Albuquerque area, and we’ve really wanted to go to the east side,” Rumbaugh said. “That’s been something that’s really important to us and we finally found an opportunity to make that happen.”

In addition to operating as a coffee shop, the new location will also be the company’s new commissary location — a place where the roaster makes its pastries, burritos and granola products. Current commissary operations take place at 2420 Comanche NE, but Piñon Coffee’s involvement with the property will cease when its lease ends this summer.

The Wyoming location will employ a total of 25 people between coffee shop and commissary operations.

Another new development in Piñon Coffee’s expansion is its first-ever unflavored coffee product.

“Everything we’ve done up to this point has been flavored coffee — flavors inspired by New Mexico, our heritage, Southwest heritage,” Rumbaugh explained. “The unflavored has been something we’ve been wanting to do for a while, and with the rebrand, it was just kind of perfect timing.”

With more and more coffee competitors arising in the Duke City, Rumbaugh said the company hopes the rebrand, new product and new location will further expand its reach and service.

Bregar added the rebrand will foster new opportunities as well as build on recent gains.

“The growth this year at the new Sunport outlet through our partnership with Fresquez Concessions, as well as our first Northeast Heights location will generate new engagement with our company in new markets both in and outside of our state,” Bregar said.