Everyday Fuel. That’s the tagline of Athens-based coffee franchise Jittery Joe’s, which hopes that customers will see its brand as energetic, active and the key ingredient to get them through their day. Though the association of “fuel” with coffee may be an easy one to make, what many people may not be aware of is a sport that Jittery Joe’s has been “fueling” for over 5 years now, that connotes endurance, energy and vigor – professional cycling.

Emerging in 1994 from the vibrant art and music culture in the college town of Athens, Georgia, Jittery Joe’s has quickly expanded to 10 locations across the Southeast. The company still hand roasts its coffee beans daily at its roaster in Athens before distributing them to each of its stores. Along with the roaster, franchise headquarters, and four stores, the Jittery Joe’s Professional Cycling Team also calls Athens home. Even though cycling ties in nicely with Jittery Joe’s high-energy image, their sponsorship of the team is no marketing gimmick. The title sponsor since 2002, Jittery Joe’s signed a 10-year contract with the team in 2006, making it the longest contract in professional cycling history.

Over the years, the Jittery Joe’s team has been made up of members from all over the world, with the current team including cyclists from the United States, Canada, Colombia and Australia. However, their home base of Athens has remained constant, allowing for a close relationship with their sponsor.

“Oh, we know our riders; they have their morning coffee with us,” said Dr. Karl Barnett, managing partner of Jittery Joe’s Franchising, LLC. “We share their upsets and their victories. To us, this is more than a logo on a jersey; it is a relationship that embodies the qualities that we as coffee producers would like to foster – hard work and hard play.”

Jittery Joe’s supports the team through the sale of its Morning Ride Cycling Coffee – proceeds go straight to the team. An organic, shade-grown coffee, Morning Ride Cycling Coffee is sold in over 700 bike shops nationwide.

The “Bean Team,” as the Jittery Joe’s cyclists are affectionately known, is a UCI Continental Team that competes primarily in the USA Cycling Professional Tour and UCI American Tour road bicycle racing events. The cyclists have also raced internationally, in Canada, Australia and South Africa. Their next big event is the Tour de Georgia, North America’s premier professional cycling event benefiting the Georgia Cancer Coalition, held every spring with a varying route of over 600 miles across the state. The Jittery Joe’s team has competed in the Tour since its inception in 2003; they head into this year’s race with much momentum as they recently welcomed Columbian, Cesar Grajales, back to the team.

When he last rode for Jittery Joe’s in 2004, Grajales won Stage 6 (the Brasstown Bald mountaintop finish) and finished sixth overall in the Tour de Georgia that year.

Also for this year’s Tour de Georgia, Jittery Joe’s holds the distinction of being the official coffee provider for the VIP hospitality areas at all the host venues. As part of the sponsorship, Jittery Joe’s will also run in-store promotions at the 10 Jittery Joe’s locations throughout the Southeast. Coffee sleeves will feature a Tour de Georgia logo and profiles of Jittery Joe’s cyclists.

For more information about the Jittery Joe’s Cycling Team, visit their website at www.thebeanteam.com.

For Jittery Joe’s franchising information, visit www.jitteryjoes.com.

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