Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
Issue link: http://freshcup.epubxp.com/i/90134
OFF THE WIRE continued from page 23 WHY A DRIVE-THRU CHAIN TRADEMARKED 'BARISTAS' Last month, Seattle-based Baristas Coffee Company sent out a press release announcing it had "received a trademark certificate for the 'Baristas TM' brand and related marketing assets." The release also stated Baristas had plans "to aggressively enforce and protect its trademark." The news sent a ripple of uncertainty through the specialty coffee community, with businesses wondering if the company would target independent retailers using "baristas" in their name or marketing materials. But according to Baristas CEO Barry Henthorn, the trademarking decision was simply a way to protect the chain from competition. "We've had a few incidents where there have been some copycats," he says. "There's some- body that used the name Baristas Café; we didn't really appreci- ate that, and those are the types of things that we're hoping to protect against." "I think anybody that's trying to build a brand should take the time to register and trademark it," says Baristas' CEO. "Look at any well-known companies— that's what they do. If I wanted to come out with a new soft drink, I certainly wouldn't call it Coca-Cola." beyond adding locations: The company is launching a line of ice cream bearing the Baristas name and logo, as well as filming a reality series following a number of its scantily clad employees living under the same roof. "It's being picked up internationally as well as domestically," says Henthorn. "Our main producer is Mark Mayer, who did [Fox Sports series] 'The Best Damn Sports Show Period.'" In short, Baristas hopes to occupy a larger place in the pub- Baristas Coffee Company—a chain of drive-thrus whose baristas wear bikinis—also wanted to trademark the name because it's hoping to increase its profile in the coming months. "Our company's publicly traded, it's doing a national expansion and we have put a foothold in our first five states," Henthorn says. Baristas' 11 locations are in Arizona, Florida, Montana, Texas and Washington, and Henthorn says plans are in the works to open in four more states. But Baristas' plans range 24 Fresh Cup Magazine freshcup.com lic eye and wants to be protected when the ensuing attention arrives. "I think anybody that's trying to build a brand should take the time to register and trademark it," says Henthorn. "Look at any well-known companies—that's what they do. If I wanted to come out with a new soft drink, I certainly wouldn't call it Coca-Cola." But as to whether or not Baristas will try to ruin any mom- and-pops touting similar nomenclature, Henthorn says his company has bigger fish to fry. "If you're going to use it in a manner that is infringing upon us or is very copycat, then obvi- ously we're going to protect the trademark," he says. "But I have other things to do in growing our business than chasing down everybody that uses the term 'barista.'" —Chris Ryan CRAIG CLOUTIER