Dolly Parton's '9 to 5'-Inspired Coffee Launches Nationwide
Dolly Parton spent more than four decades dreaming about turning one of her most famous song lyrics into a coffee brand. Now, just over a month after her death, that dream is finally on shelves.
Dolly's Cup of Ambition coffee launched nationwide on Tuesday, Sept. 29, National Coffee Day, along with a new commercial the country music legend filmed before she died on Aug. 25. Parton filmed three commercials for the brand in July, according to People, and the first one debuted with the launch as part of a fall advertising campaign.
A Final Glimpse of Dolly at Work
The first commercial shows Parton doing what her famous song describes: starting her day with a cup of coffee. For fans still mourning the loss of one of music's most beloved figures, the ad offers one more chance to see her doing what she did best, bringing warmth and personality to everything she touched.
The timing makes the release especially bittersweet. Parton was closely involved in the brand's development, and the commercial captures her promoting a project she had been working toward for most of her career.
A Dream More Than 40 Years in the Making
The coffee's name comes from a line in "9 to 5," Parton's 1980 hit, where she sings about pouring herself a "cup of ambition" to start the workday. The song became one of her signature anthems, and the phrase stuck with her for decades.
When Parton first revealed the brand in June, she made it clear the idea had been on her mind for a long time. "I've been working towards this for over 40 years," she said, American Songwriter reported.
She also admitted the project had been slower to come together than she'd hoped, calling it one of those dreams "that's taken a little longer than I thought it might."
Made in Partnership With Community Coffee
Parton developed Cup of Ambition with Community Coffee, a family-owned company that got its start in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1919. The brand made its public debut at Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop, which opened June 24 off Interstate 65 south of Nashville.
In the brand's original announcement, Parton tied the coffee directly to the song's message about hard work. "That's why I wanted to make a coffee that works just as hard," she said.
Donna Saurage, the third-generation owner of Community Coffee, remembered Parton fondly after her death. "Dolly had a warmth that made you feel like you'd known her forever," Saurage said in a release, according to Wilson County Source.
What's in the Lineup
The collection includes light, medium and dark roast varieties. Ground coffee is available now, and K-Cup pods are available for pre-order.
In true Dolly fashion, the launch also gives back. Every cup sold helps support Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the literacy program she founded to provide free books to children from birth to age 5.
To celebrate the rollout, Cup of Ambition and Community Coffee are taking the brand on the road with a Sip & Sample Tour. The Dolly Coffee Trolley and coffee carts will make stops throughout Tennessee and the Southeast, including several Nashville-area locations, with more tour dates expected to be announced.
Part of a Growing Posthumous Legacy
The coffee launch is one of several ways Parton's legacy is being celebrated this fall. Her 1980 comedy 9 to 5 is set to return to theaters for one week in October. At Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift dedicated her Video of the Year win to Parton, and Kacey Musgraves honored her with a performance of "I Will Always Love You."
For a woman who built an empire on hard work, big dreams and a whole lot of heart, a coffee meant to fuel the workday feels like a fitting final gift to her fans.
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