Robert Downey Jr. and Craig Dubitsky’s Coffee Brand Enters Albertsons
Founded by entrepreneur Craig Dubitsky and Academy Award-winning actor, entrepreneur and producer Robert Downey Jr, the happy brand has launched its Ready-to-Drink Vanilla, Caramel and Mocha Lattes and Cold Brew at 11 Albertsons Cos. divisions across 34 states. This expansion into 2,070 doors comes as happy marks its first year in business.
The coffee brand launched its range of light, medium and dark blends in a variety of formats, including ground, whole bean, instant and K-cup compatible happy pods, in early 2024, followed by ready-to-drink options just a month later. According to the brand, this quick product expansion was driven by early demand and interest from retail partners to introduce convenient coffee options for modern drinkers in search of on-the-go offerings.
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"We're absolutely thrilled to bring happy to even more people by partnering with Albertsons. So many coffee lovers rely on Albertsons and their incredible roster of beloved banners for the things they need, want and love; meeting those shoppers in their happy place truly makes us smile," said Dubitsky, who is also happy's CEO.
An essential part of happy's brand DNA is a first-of-its-kind partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Reimagining the relationship between entrepreneurship and philanthropy, happy has provided NAMI with an equity stake in the company. To destigmatize mental health and provide meaningful support to those in need, every happy product features a QR code that directs to NAMI's resources.
The brand's expansion into Albertsons offers a new opportunity to continue to raise awareness for these necessary resources while further helping to remove stigma regarding mental health.
happy's rapid and strategic growth has resulted in the brand's presence at more than 60,000 points of distribution in big-box retailers, regional grocery stores and e-commerce platforms.