Finding Common Ground – The Mission of Mission Brew Coffee

In Part 1 we explored the tumultuous history of the coffee industry.  This history has been explored and eloquently retold in great detail by Mark Pendergrast in his book Uncommon Grounds.  Coffee’s history, however, has not been all doom and gloom.  At various times throughout its history there have been individuals and companies who sought to swim against the tide of the ages and use coffee to bless people rather than exploit them.  We hope to explore the practices of a couple of these pioneering individuals in Part 2.  They provide examples for us to follow today as many coffee growers, roasters, cafes, and consumers work hard to reverse many of the negative trends of coffee’s stormy and often violent past.  Together we can use coffee for the benefit of humankind, the economy, and the environment rather than to their detriment.

Coffee History’s Shining Lights in the United States

Joel Cheek

Joel Cheek was born in rural Burkesville, Kentucky in 1852 and grew up working on the family farm. As an adult he left the farm and became a traveling salesman.  He sold a variety of products but it was coffee that intrigued him most. He was convinced that the United States was becoming a burgeoning market for coffee. He concluded that he could secure a large share of this market if he could improve upon the coffee currently being sold.  Quality coffee became his focus.

He brought his new coffee to the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville. The management agreed to serve it to its guests. They praised the marvelous new Maxwell House coffee as superb! From the start the business grew rapidly—under the management of Joel Cheek.  General Foods Corporation acquired Maxwell House in 1928 just a few years before Joel Cheek’s death.  Unfortunately, General Foods did not continue Cheek’s legacy of quality coffee as they started adding low quality robusta beans to their blends during the 1950’s in order to cheapen the price.

What made Joel Cheek and his company, Maxwell House, so successful?  He left us a life and legacy of blessing others.  He valued human beings in an age when companies often sought to exploit them with long hours, low wages, and difficult working conditions.  Furthermore, in an age when many coffee companies were adulterating coffee with anything and everything from chicory to dirt in order to deceptively make more profit, Joel Cheek sought instead to provide consumers with honest quality coffee that truly was “Good to the Last Drop!”

Joel Cheek sought to treat employees like family and sought to do business honorably.  He once said, “Any transaction between me and my fellow man that has not the moral in it on my part to profit him, is an immoral transaction.”  He saw business as an opportunity to bless others knowing that in doing so his business would ultimately benefit as well.

Joel Cheek also desired to promote a company culture that was radically different than the typical view of employees in early 20th century America.  Joel said of his employees, “You love them, you love their families, you are part of them.”  Joel Cheek cared for his employees and their families.

Joel Cheek even believed that quality coffee itself had a greater purpose that went far beyond him and Maxwell House.  He touted coffee’s benefits for mankind, “We believe that this great Creator has created nothing in vain, that everything that he has caused to grow on this old earth of ours he has provided for some good and useful purpose…There is not a single nation under the sun but what has in their blood a desire…for a stimulant of some character.  It must and will be satisfied.  We believe that this article that we prepare for the people is God-given.  We are sure that what we have to offer is for the good of mankind, for the great masses, for the soldier in the trenches, for the tired, weary laborer, for the poor, and for the toiler everywhere-it is almost everywhere a boon and a blessing.” Joel Cheek brought the blessing of quality coffee to households across the United States.

William Black

William Black was born in Brooklyn, New York around the turn of the century.  Following his father’s death, he had to help support his family by working to unload produce trucks and as a checker.  In 1926, with $250 starting capital, he decided to go into business for himself selling shelled nuts to theater goers on Broadway.  Six years later his Chock full o’Nuts brand had quickly expanded to eighteen stores in Manhattan.  His quick-order luncheonette stands soon became known for their quality coffee and nutted-cheese sandwiches.  They were also well known for their cleanliness and reasonable prices.  During the Depression shelled nuts were viewed as a luxury that few could afford so Black focused on expanding his coffee brand.  As the economy recovered Black expanded into more than 100 stores across New York City and starting selling his well respected coffee in grocery stores.  Initially, when coffee prices rose during the 1950’s, Black, like most other restaurant owners, held to his 5-cents per cup of coffee by watering it down.  However, he soon broke ranks and raised the price declaring that he would not compromise on quality.  His coffee brand remained iconic in New York City until his death in 1983.

William Black was successful in large part because he offered something unique.  Chock full o’Nuts provided great service, food, and coffee in a market that few had entered with such attention to quality.  Low quality quick-order stands could hardly compete with Chock full o’Nuts.  However, Black was also a successful businessman because of the way he conducted business with compassion and integrity.

Black gave back to the city of New York and beyond.  He started the first private foundation in the United States dedicated specifically to finding the causes of and cure for Parkinson’s disease.  William Black was still the chairman of the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation at the time of his death.

Black and his management team also gained a reputation for rewarding great work with great benefits unheard of in similar establishments.  Bonuses were given out for perfect attendance records and the like.  He even allowed employees to take home food.  The company also allowed employees to buy part of the business through discount sales of stock.  They were well known for racial equality in hiring and were even the brunt of many protests as a result of hiring so many black workers, including former baseball great Jackie Robinson who served as Vice President of Personnel for Chock full o’Nuts.  William Black believed that because of his business success he was in a position to help and bless others – his employees, his customers, his city, the medically ill, and all who were the beneficiaries of his philanthropy.

The Mission of Mission Brew Coffee

We believe we have been blessed to be a blessing and so we hope to bring awareness to coffee’s injustices while simultaneously making a positive contribution to our local and global economies, the environment, and by blessing San Diego neighborhoods.

Joel Cheek and William Black provide two great examples for us to follow as we carry the torch forward in the Unites States’ coffee industry today.  They both knew that ultimately it was people who were most important – not profit, not business success at all costs, not even coffee.  Rather, they used profit, business, and coffee as a means to bless people.  We strive to do the same.

At Mission Brew Coffee, we hope to offer a superior quality cup of coffee that all of our patrons can enjoy knowing that we have done all we can to ensure that our coffee was procured through ethically sourced means.  We work for more than wages and manage for more than profit so that mutual respect and the just use of goods and skills may shape our company culture.  While we strive to earn a profit, we serve our customers by providing quality products and services for them to enjoy.  Quality coffee and friendly service must never be sacrificed for the bottom line.  In our global economy we advocate meaningful work and fair wages for all.  We give freely and gladly to the local community out of our resources and time.  We believe that others will be excited to join us on this mission as we seek to bless others through coffee.

Mission Brew Coffee purchases its coffee only from the finest local coffee roasters in San Diego. Our coffees are organic, fair-trade, and/or otherwise sourced through socially, environmentally, and economically conscious means. In fact, at Mission Brew Coffee we go beyond organic and fair-trade by selecting roasters who have direct, fair-price relationships with the farmers themselves ensuring that all the coffee we purchase leaves a positive impact on our global and local community, environment, and economy.

Our passion is coffee, but our focus is service. Mission Brew Coffee baristas will greet every customer with a smile and genuinely strive to know their own personal stories. We seek to give our customers a positive experience through the uplifting and energizing spirit found in our friendly baristas.  We enjoy cultivating coffee and espresso knowledge and satisfaction in our customers, employees, and community. We will connect with our customers by creating authentic relationships and uplifting their lives even if only for a few brief moments each day.  We will further foster a culture of service and giving by hosting regular community service projects and giving back to local communities in San Diego.

Ultimately, coffee is about people – from the farmers who ethically grow and harvest, to the roasters who carefully and meticulously prepare the beans, to our baristas who artfully brew each cup, to our customers who desire Quality, Coffee, Fast, and ultimately to our community, both local and global, who we positively impact through our Mission.

Our Mission is to serve you “Quality. Coffee. Fast.” while giving back to our community. We hope that the result will be a customer experience that goes well beyond what can be found at many other coffee establishments.

We hope that through our mission we will Find Common Ground with many others who are as excited as we are to bless people through the blessing of coffee.