Earlier this month we announced that Coca-Cola was making a 40 percent investment in Honest Tea. Though most of the feedback from consumers has been positive -- "finally, I won't have to drive two hours to get your drinks!" -- we have received heartfelt notes from loyal customers who are disappointed with our new investor. We take these concerns seriously. Over my next few blog posts, I am going to share some of my recent exchanges with a customer, Julie, who agreed to let me post her comments.

Here's the first exchange:

Continue reading "Will Honest Tea be Corrupted by Coke?"

Today, Honest Tea and Coca-Cola announced that the world's largest beverage company is buying a 40 percent stake in our much smaller enterprise. While Coke is now our largest shareholder, the agreement was negotiated to ensure that Honest Tea will not be managed or controlled by Coke. We will continue to operate as an independent business with the same leadership and mission. Here are some thoughts on the decision. Please excuse the length, but the deal took months to put together and even longer to think about:

Continue reading "Why We Sold a Stake to Coke"