Sept 2 (Reuters) - Black Rock Coffee Bar is targeting a
valuation of up to $860.7 million in its New York initial public
offering, the cafe chain said on Tuesday, setting the stage for
a rare consumer sector listing amid an IPO market buoyed by
tech-heavy debuts.
The Scottsdale, Arizona-based company is seeking up to $265
million by offering 14.7 million shares priced between $16 and
$18 apiece.
While the new listings market has made a comeback after a
brief pause in April, consumer-related IPOs have been a key
miss, with much of the activity coming from sectors with
low-tariff exposure.
Black Rock Coffee's flotation will be a crucial test of
investor appetite for consumer IPOs, with its peer Dutch Bros ( BROS )
having gone public back in 2021.
Founded in 2008, Black Rock Coffee is a founder-owned
operator of drive-thru coffee bars, selling hot and iced coffees
as well as energy drinks, including Nitro Cold Brew and Caramel
Blondie.
While it began as a single coffee stand in Oregon, it has
since bulked up with over 150 locations spanning seven states
from the Pacific Northwest to Texas.
BEANS AND TARIFFS
The company sources most of its coffee beans from Brazil,
Ethiopia, Colombia and Mexico, among other countries.
Inflated costs or lower availability of arabica coffee
beans, dairy and other commodities could have an adverse impact
on its business, according to its prospectus.
Coffee prices have hit a record high this year, driven by
droughts in top producers Brazil and Vietnam and a U.S. move to
impose 50% duties on beans imported from Brazil.
Moving forward, the company expects much of the tariff
exposure stemming from refrigeration units, espresso machines
and coffee beans.
Black Rock Coffee will list on the Nasdaq under the symbol
"BRCB". J.P. Morgan, Jefferies, Morgan Stanley and Baird are the
lead underwriters for the offering.