Corey Kispert has spent years living in two worlds at once: basketball and coffee. Now the former Gonzaga star is trying to build a business that ties them together.
Kispert launched The Bitter Truth in March, a coffee company whose name is meant to capture the grind that comes with both of his passions. For him, it’s not just a catchy label. It’s a nod to the rough patches, the adjustments and the hard lessons that have shaped his path.
“That’s been a reflection of my NBA career as well, a similar story and path (as Gonzaga),” said Kispert, who is entering his sixth NBA season. “I’ve learned a lot of I guess you’d call them bitter truths along the way, reflecting the struggle and hard times and adversity in my career and personal life aren’t something to run from.
“Even if you think you’re making strides, you’re not absent of issues that pop up. So work with them, stare them in the face and actually enjoy it and your life gets a lot easier. That’s kind of what the brand stands for - honest self-reflection and not lying to yourself.”
The coffee obsession started back when Kispert was a high school senior in the Seattle area. It grew through four seasons at Gonzaga and now has become part of his everyday routine, with Kispert saying he drinks 5-7 cups a day.
He grew up around “a Starbucks on every corner,” but his father told him coffee would stunt his growth, so he held off for a while. By the time he had grown to 6-feet-6 and 210 pounds, he was eating breakfast during his senior year at King’s High with friends who worked construction and drank straight black coffee.
“I did it in reverse,” Kispert said. “I wasn’t doing the triple vanilla macchiato people usually start with.”
His coffee world widened even more after he met Jenn Wirth, the former Gonzaga women’s basketball standout who is now his wife. She introduced him to specialty coffee shops, and Kispert said he’s built up a list of spots to visit while traveling with NBA teams.
“Starbucks was the holy land to me, but she opened my eyes to the specialty shops,” he said. “On the road we do stay in nicer hotels and I have a rolodex of coffee spots throughout NBA cities.”
Those visits became part of his social media presence, and eventually they led to a business opportunity. Kispert said the videos caught the attention of Ike Bubna, a Gonzaga fan who owns three New Love Coffee shops in the Spokane area.
“That was kind of the precursor to starting The Bitter Truth,” Kispert said of the videos. “Ike cold called me, said if I was interested, he’d love to work with me.”
From there, the project took shape. After tasting different roasts, The Bitter Truth opened with light, medium and dark roasts, along with decaf, all sold at BitterTruthCoffee.com. The beans come from Rwanda, Ethiopia, Peru and Guatemala, then are roasted, packaged and shipped through New Love Coffee.
The company also sells hats, coffee mugs and wholesale roasts for businesses. Kispert said the Hawks have Bitter Truth coffee available at the team facility after he was traded from Washington to Atlanta last January. His teammates with the Wizards and Hawks have also supported the brand, while Jenn helps with design, marketing and messaging.
Kispert’s routine shows just how deep the habit runs. On a typical game day, he starts with two or three cups in the morning, follows a pre-game nap with iced coffee, grabs another cup when he gets to the arena and finishes with a pre-game espresso shot.
“It’s usually cold in there so another coffee is great,” he said.
Off the court, he sees the company as a new way to focus his energy. Kispert earned a business administration degree at Gonzaga and was halfway to an MBA, and he said the work is easier to manage during the season with help from Bubna and others.
“It’s really a different avenue to pour time and energy into when I’m not on the court,” said Kispert, who earned a business administration degree at GU and was halfway to an MBA. “In season, luckily, I have Ike and a few others helping me out. If we get into town for a road game, I’ll spend a couple hours working on it in the hotel room.”
Kispert’s profile, especially in Spokane, Seattle, Washington D.C. and Atlanta, has helped bring in customers, and he believes the coffee can compete in a crowded market. He also pointed out that 11 former or current NFL players are in the coffee business, including Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Cooper Kupp, the former Eastern Washington standout who has won Super Bowls with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
“The more people that try it, the more positive reviews I get,” Kispert said. “It’s differentiating myself and our company from thousands of others where you can get your coffee.”
Kispert said the launch drew strong support, though he knows businesses often level off after the first few months. For now, he says the company is in a good spot and getting sharpened up for what comes next.
“We got really good numbers on the launch, a lot of people came out to support it. As many businesses experience as you get into the 3- to 6-month mark, it sort of plateaus.
We’re at a good level. This summer we’re beefing up and tuning up to get some growth so we can take on a bigger load when the season gets going.”