MJB (coffee) facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Beverage |
| Founded | 1899 in San Francisco, California |
| Founder | Max Joseph Brandenstein |
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Area served
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United States |
| Parent | Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA (2005–present) Sara Lee (1999-2005) Nestlé (1985-1999) |
MJB Coffee is an American brand of coffee. It is currently owned by the company Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA.
Contents
The Story of MJB Coffee
After the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s, San Francisco became a major hub for the coffee business. Many famous coffee companies, like Folgers Coffee and Hills Brothers Coffee, got their start there.
How MJB Began
In 1881, a man named Max J. Brandenstein started roasting coffee in the San Francisco area. His father, Joseph Brandenstein, was in the tobacco business. By 1899, Max started his own company that imported tea, spices, and coffee.
His brothers, Mannie, Charlie, and Eddie, soon joined him. To avoid arguments over whose name should be first, they named the company MJB Co. This name also helped hide their German-Jewish background at a time when some people had negative feelings toward Germans.
During World War I, Mannie Brandenstein changed his last name to Bransten. His granddaughter, Ruth Bransten McDougall, wrote in a book that he did this to protect the family business from anti-German feelings.
A Famous Slogan and Fresh Coffee
In 1900, Mannie Brandenstein came up with a clever advertising slogan: "MJB Coffee Why?" Soon, signs with this question were seen all over San Francisco.
MJB was also one of the first companies to use a new technology called vacuum packing. Before this, coffee didn't stay fresh for very long. In 1914, MJB started packing its coffee in vacuum-sealed cans. This process removed the air from the can, which kept the coffee fresh and flavorful for much longer.
For a huge fair in 1915 called the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, MJB built a special coffee house. It had a giant cup and saucer on the roof with the word "WHY" lit up in lights.
MJB in Pop Culture
In the 1940s and later, MJB Coffee became even more famous. Movie stars helped promote the brand.
In the 1970s, a TV commercial for MJB featured a young actress named Teri Garr. The commercial was so popular that it helped her get noticed by the famous director Steven Spielberg. He later cast her in his hit movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
The founder's granddaughter, Ruth Bransten McDougall, also wrote a book called Under Mannie’s Hat. The book shares stories about her family and the history of the MJB brand.
Who Owns MJB Today?
Over the years, MJB Coffee has been owned by several large companies.
- In 1985, the food giant Nestle bought MJB.
- In 1999, Sara Lee Corp. purchased MJB from Nestle.
- In 2005, the Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group bought MJB and other coffee brands from Sara Lee for $82.5 million.
Today, MJB is still part of the Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group.
