Benioff Children's Hospital (BCH) Oakland's Outpatient Center recently welcomed Red Bay Coffee as the newest diverse supplier at the hospital. Red Bay Coffee joins the growing list of local, small, and diverse suppliers offering their products at BCH Oakland, including woman-owned Truly Good Foods, locally- owned Niman Ranch, and local, woman-owned Posh Bakery.

All are part of the UCSF Anchor Institution Mission's commitment to leverage UCSF's economic power to advance economic security and improve the long-term health and well-being of surrounding communities. The Anchor Institution Mission also encourages university departments and programs to consider local, small, diverse businesses when buying goods and services, a charge taken to heart by both BCH Oakland Vice President of Ancillary Services Vanessa Roshell-Stacks, and Hayden Knotts, Executive Chef of Food and Nutrition Services at Morrison Healthcare.

When Roshell-Stacks and Knotts began to envision a refresh of the café offerings at BCH Oakland, Roshell-Stacks and the team at Morrison Healthcare immediately thought of Red Bay Coffee. Knotts noticed the beloved small, Black-owned businesses were frequently present at community events and sold out at local farmer's markets. Once Roshell-Stacks and Knotts agreed that Red Bay Coffee aligned with both Morrison Healthcare and BCH Oakland's shared commitment to promote supplier diversity as a way to create a more equitable and sustainable supply chain, the next step was visiting the Red Bay facilities to further explore bringing their coffee to BCH Oakland. 

Upon touring the roastery in Fruitvale to learn more about the coffee's origins and quality, and meeting Red Bay's owner, Keba Konte, the team at Morrison Healthcare knew it would be a great fit. With the full support of Roshell-Stacks, Red Bay Coffee began offering its products at the hospital starting in February 2024. "There is a misconception that it will be so much harder to work with local, small, diverse businesses”, says Dominique Dortch, Director of Food and Nutrition Services and BCH Oakland. "But working with Red Bay has been really easy. They've had no problem keeping up with the demand for whole beans, and we grind them on site, so each cup of coffee is fresh."

Be sure to grab a cup of coffee the next time you visit BCH Oakland!