What's in the Hut

What's in the hut? Coffee Bean Hut's green coffee beans, of course! Thousands of pounds of the world's best crops. But who could see that when as a new internet business in 2000, we were without form for most of our customers.

One solution to our brand identity crisis was to create a logo! A face for our product.

I contacted Russ Hicks at Sandell's Business Printing in Sparks, Nevada, and told him the problem. He contacted a graphic artist he knew and she came up with what you see here--on the first draft!

I remember Russ and the artist were poised for round after round of changes, perhaps even a complete concept makeover, but when I opened the envelope and saw the little shack with the coffee bean leaning inside the doorway, I knew Coffee Bean Hut had its face.

I've had people say the bean looks like a surfboard, that we must be located in Hawaii, and I sure can see why. It was worrisome lest people think we only sell Kona, when we actually sell a broad selection of coffees from Africa, Asia, middle and South America, Indonesia. Indeed, wherever coffee beans are grown.

Thankfully, this fear has been allayed, as for six years the logo has accompanied every shipment of ours and customers have relayed their pleasure with it (not to mention the beans.) The questions we get now tend to be, "Hey, you're on the internet. When are you going to animate the bean?"

We love the idea, so . . . perhaps soon.