MJB is an American brand of coffee currently owned by Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, a company in the Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group. MJB is popular in the western United States, western Canada and Japan.[1]
MJB is named for Max J. Brandenstein, an importer of coffee, tea and spices in San Francisco in the late 19th century. After the Gold Rush, San Francisco became a center of coffee importing and roasting in the western United States, and coffee was an important part of the local economy. Aside from MJB, San Francisco was home to the Folgers Coffee Company (Folgers) and Hills Brothers Coffee, Inc. (Hills Bros.).
The production of MJB began in 1881. In 1899, Max Brandenstein established the M.J. Brandenstein Company, a spice and coffee import business that took over the brand, with his brothers Mannie, Charlie and Eddie. The company's name was later changed to the MJB Co.[2] to minimise sibling rivalry and disguise their German-Jewish origins.[3]
In 1910, Mannie Brandenstein developed what was to become a well-known advertising campaign: "MJB Coffee Why?". The campaign began with promotional fans given out at a boxing match in Reno, Nevada and later signs with the slogan were painted all over San Francisco.[2]
MJB created a temporary "ultramodern" coffee house for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915, featuring a giant cup and saucer on the roof with the illuminated word "WHY".[4]
Nestle acquired MJB in 1985.[5]
In December 1999, Sara Lee Corp. acquired MJB, along with Hills Brothers and Chase & Sanborn, from Nestle.[6]
In December 2005, Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group acquired several US retail coffee businesses, including MJB, Hills Brothers, Chase & Sanborn, and Chock Full o' Nuts, from Sara Lee for US$82.5 million.[7]