QSR September 2022

SPONSORED BY THE HUMAN BEAN

TheHumanBean is PeopleFirst The coffee franchise is laser-focused on growing its values alongside its brand. BYCHARLIE POGACAR

THE FIRST THINGMANYPEOPLENOTICE about The Human Bean is the coffee brand’s unique name. What they may not know is that it was conceived by the mother of Dan Hawkins, co-founder and CEO of The Human Bean, and speaks to the culture of family, friends, and community that the coffee fran chise holds dear. “The name to us is about the guest expe rience we seek to provide and the way we approach working in the community and giv ing back,” Hawkins says. “It’s still the perfect name—the human element is something that’s just so important to us, from our fran chisees, to our teammembers, to our guests.” After opening its first location in Ashland, Oregon, in 1998, The Human Bean quickly became known for its efficient drive thrus andwide-rangingmenu, featuring everything fromhigh-quality espresso shots to decadent

DILLON VIBES PHOTOGRAPHY

percent of the brand’s franchisees said they would recommend franchising with The Human Bean to a friend. Hawkins believes that the high approval ratings are owed to the brand’s ongoing dedication to supporting franchisees, but he also thinks keeping franchisees happy starts with identifying the right partners to grow with. “We denymanymore franchisees and locations thanwe approve because we reallywant to find people and places wherewe knowwewill be successful in sharing our culture,” Hawkins says. “That means creating a positive atmo sphere where our amazing baristas can create the best possible guest expe rience. Howdo wemaintain that? It requires a whole lot of upstreamwork in identifying the right people, plus regular communication from our system’s field operations team that goes out and assures not only quality and consis tency but shares what a guest experience looks like, feels like, and tastes like. “Because at the end of the day, that’s what separates us: The authentic con nection we have with our guests in anticipating their needs and delivering something super special for them each time they come into our store.” RF “Keeping the integrity of the brand is the most important thing for us in everything that we do.”

mochas and smoothies. The brand has achieved notoriety thanks to initia tives like Coffee for a Cure, which has raised over $2 million for breast can cer support and treatment. Now the brand is one of the fastest-growing coffee franchises in the U.S., with 132 locations currently open and nearly 200 more in development in 29 states. As the brand grows and sales increase, The Human Bean relies on forward-thinking solutions, like line-busting tablets that keep up its drive thru efficiency without compromising on the quality of its product. “Keeping the integrity of the brand is the most important thing for us in

everything that we do,” Hawkins says. “We wouldn’t be expand ing at the rate that we are if we didn’t think we could maintain the ethos of the brand and part ner with people who will grow the brand the way we envision it.” Hawkins is especially proud of the relationship The Human Bean has built with its franchisee partners. In a recent review con ducted by a third-party, over 90

Royalties: 0% Franchise Fee: $30,000 Start-up Costs: $380,025 to $905,025 Technology: Robust POS with integrated line busting and contactless rewards app

For more on franchising with The Human Bean, visit thehumanbean.com .

68

SEPTEMBER 2022 EDITION SPONSORED SECTION