Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler’s Big Face Coffee won a taste contest sponsored by the New York Times earlier this month.
The Times reviewed coffees from celebrities, including coffees from actors Sofia Vergara and Tom Hanks. Even former mayor Rudy Giuliani submitted a coffee to the competition.
Big Face Coffee was rated a perfect 5 out of 5 by taste testers. Hanks’ coffee received a 2.3 and Vergara’s coffee received a 1.3.
Big Face costs $30 for an 8.8-ounce bag.
When players remained in the NBA bubble during the Covid-shortened 2020 season, Butler brewed coffee in his hotel room. He sold it to Heat teammates for a whopping $20 a cup. After the pandemic subsided the following year, Big Face Coffee was founded. Big Face also makes clothing.
Times food reporter Priya Krishna wrote that she “would have joined the NBA bubble in 2020 just to be able to enjoy this coffee on a regular basis.”
Butler attempted to form a partnership with teammate Bam Adebayo. According to Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report, Adebayo was offered the right to join the company for $2.5 million. There is no mention of how much of the company Adebayo would receive for the money.
Big Face is opening a cafe in the Miami Design District next month. Butler plans to pick up some shifts.
“Most of these coffees were nothing special, and some of them had only a vague connection to the star behind them,” Krishna said. “Coffee may be an everyday habit, but making a truly memorable brew is a highly technical process. Perhaps this business is better left to the experts. And Jimmy Butler.”
