CBD Startup Good Day Aims for Anytime

As beverage consumers are gradually introduced to CBD products, one of the primary questions is when to drink them. According to Los Angeles-based startup Good Day, the answer is anytime.

The company launched its first product this month, a ready-to-drink, organic, shelf-stable cold brew coffee infused with 15 mg of hemp-derived CBD. The line is the first of three beverages, the others being a sparkling water and chamomile tea, each scheduled to launch this fall. Good Day hopes the line will help consumers integrate CBD as part of a daily health and wellness routine.

“I think our products really shine when worked into daily life,” said co-founder Nick Miller, also the company’s COO. “If you are a cold brew coffee drinker and you learned about the benefits of CBD, it’s natural for you to drink it in your cold brew. That’s one of the reasons that we went with the Good Day brand — we want to give people more good days.”

Good Day’s three co-founders — Miller, CFO Andy Gabriel and CEO Warner Siebert — reflect the broad appeal and interest in CBD’s functional benefits. Miller, a product manager at Facebook’s gaming division, was introduced to topical CBD cream as an aid for post-marathon recovery. Siebert discovered tinctures while seeking natural stress relief as a busy professional working at Sysco.

The three products emphasize CBD’s versatility; under the general umbrella of stress relief, the coffee, sparkling water and tea provide energy, refreshment and relaxation, respectively. Each contain 15 mg of hemp-derived CBD per 8.4 oz slim aluminum can. This month, Good Day began online sales of its cold brew through its website, offering 7-packs (a one week supply) for $42 each.

The decision to debut with a cold brew coffee was based in part on timing; Miller and Siebert have only been working full-time on Good Day since March, and the desire to launch cold brew during the summer months accelerated internal R&D. The premium price may be an obstacle to achieving trial, but the pair expressed confidence that the product’s quality ingredients, such as Fair Trade certified coffee from Central and South America, along with CBD’s functional benefits, will justify the added cost. In addition, compared to other types of infused products, consumers may simply prefer one they are already familiar with.

“I don’t think that people know where to start with CBD,” Miller noted. “Tinctures are not the best experience — they don’t have a great taste profile — while gummies and other types of products can be filled with sugar. Having a healthy beverage with healthy ingredients that has lab-verified CBD is a great way for people to try it.”

As the company grows, the co-founders said it will aim to equally balance direct-to-consumer sales and traditional retailers, the first of which will be coming online in New York and Los Angeles this month. Though Good Day is focusing on beverage products for the time being, Miller and Siebert said CBD will serve as “the connective tissue” for its broader forays into the health and wellness market; the brand’s apparel line, which donates all net proceeds to mental health non-profit groups, is one such example.

“I would say that top-level we are a health and wellness brand where it’s not just about the products,” said Siebert. “We want to be promoting everything from physical and mental health to the products that you actually consume.”