# MJB (coffee) > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/MJB_(coffee) > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/MJB_(coffee).md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MJB_(coffee) > Source revision: 1305326054 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **MJB Coffee** is an American brand of coffee that is owned by [Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA](/source/Massimo_Zanetti_Beverage_USA).[1] ## History After the [California Gold Rush](/source/California_Gold_Rush), [San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco) became a center of coffee importing and roasting in the [western United States](/source/Western_United_States), spawning such future industry giants as [Folgers Coffee](/source/Folgers_Coffee) and [Hills Brothers Coffee](/source/Hills_Brothers_Coffee,_Inc.). In 1881 Max J. Brandenstein (1860-1925),[2] son of tobacco wholesaler [Joseph Brandenstein](/source/Joseph_Brandenstein), began roasting coffee in the [San Francisco Bay](/source/San_Francisco_Bay) Area. In 1899 he established a tea, spice and coffee import business in his name that took over his brand with the assistance of brothers Mannie, Charlie, and Eddie. The firm's name was later changed to the MJB Co.[3] to minimize sibling rivalry and disguise their German-Jewish origins.[4] In her 1978 memoir *Coffee, Martinis and San Francisco*, Ruth Bransten McDougall, the granddaughter of the founder, wrote that her father Mannie Brandenstein changed his name to Bransten to protect the business against anti-German sentiments during [World War I](/source/World_War_I), as well as to please his wife, whose family originated from France.[5] In 1900 Mannie Brandenstein debuted what was to become a well-known advertising campaign: "MJB Coffee Why?" In time, signs bearing the slogan appeared all over the San Francisco Bay Area. [1] "In 1898, Edward Norton, of New York, was granted a [United States patent](/source/United_States_patent) on a [vacuum process](/source/Vacuum_packing) for canning foods, subsequently applied to coffee. Others followed. Hills Brothers, of San Francisco, were the first to pack coffee in a vacuum, under the Norton patents, in 1900. M.J. Brandenstein & Company, of San Francisco, began to pack coffee in vacuum cans in 1914."[6] For the [Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915](/source/Panama-Pacific_International_Exposition_(1915)) MJB created a temporary "ultramodern" [coffee house](/source/Coffee_house) featuring a giant cup and saucer on the roof with the illuminated word "WHY."[7] In the 1940s, MJB got endorsement from several of the industry’s glitterati, including the *[Cherokee Strip](/source/Cherokee_Strip_(film))* film stars promoting the brand.[8] Moreover, a 1970s TV campaign of MJB taglined "tastes good when it should" featured actress [Teri Garr](/source/Teri_Garr). The campaign's success led to her being discovered by director [Steven Spielberg](/source/Steven_Spielberg), who cast her in his film *[Close Encounters of the Third Kind](/source/Close_Encounters_of_the_Third_Kind)*.[9] Ruth Bransten McDougall, Mannie’s daughter wrote a book named *Under Mannie’s Hat* that is a collection of memoirs of their family and brand history.[10] MJB was acquired by [Nestle](/source/Nestle) in 1985.[11] The San Francisco headquarters were closed in 1997.[12] In 1999 [Sara Lee Corp.](/source/Sara_Lee_Corp.) acquired MJB, Hills Brothers, and [Chase & Sanborn](/source/Chase_%26_Sanborn) from Nestle.[13] In 2005 MJB, Hills Brothers, Chase & Sanborn, and [Chock full o'Nuts](/source/Chock_full_o'Nuts) were purchased by [Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group](/source/Massimo_Zanetti_Beverage_Group) from Sara Lee for $82.5 million.[14] ## References 1. ["MJB Premium Coffee"](http://www.mzb-group.com/en/the-brands/mjb/mjb-premium-coffee.html). Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA. Retrieved 2009-04-03. 1. ["Max Joseph Brandenstein (1860-1925) - Find A..."](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/97279267/max-joseph-brandenstein). *www.findagrave.com* 1. ["San Francisco Coffee Roasters"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110107035320/http://www.sfcityguides.org/public_guidelines.html?article=595&submitted=TRUE&srch_text=&submitted2=&topic=Food). San Francisco City Guides. Archived from [the original](http://www.sfcityguides.org/public_guidelines.html?article=595&submitted=TRUE&srch_text=&submitted2=&topic=Food) on 2011-01-07. Retrieved 2009-04-03. 1. ["How Does Your Coffee Grow?"](http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/coffee/Coffee_Frames.html). Exploratorium. Retrieved 2009-04-03. 1. Page 94, Coffee, Martinis and San Francisco, by Ruth Bransten McDougall, published by Presidio Press, 1978 1. Ukers, William Harrison (1922). ["Chapter 30: Development of the Green and Roasted Coffee Business in the United States"](https://www.gutenberg.org/files/28500/28500-h/28500-h.htm). *All About Coffee*. New York: Tea and Coffee Trade Journal Co. p. 506. – via [Project Gutenberg](/source/Project_Gutenberg) 1. ["Today's Extra: The 1915 Pan-Pacific International Expo"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090130134811/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2009/01/27/BAQ815E1HG.DTL&o=1). San Francisco Chronicle. 2009-01-28. Archived from [the original](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2009/01/27/BAQ815E1HG.DTL&o=1) on 2009-01-30. Retrieved 2009-01-29. 1. *Advertising & Selling: Volume 34, Issues 1-7*. M.C. Robbins. 1941. p. 158. 1. Scott, Sam (April 1, 2021). ["The Untold Truth Of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind"](https://www.looper.com/372165/the-untold-truth-of-close-encounters-of-the-third-kind). *[Looper](/source/Looper_(website))* 1. ["Because Tradition Matters. That's Why."](https://www.mjbcoffee.com/history/) 1. Talbot, John (2004). *Grounds for Agreement*. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0-7425-2629-1. 1. Chiem, Phat X.; Howe, Kenneth; Writers, Chronicle Staff (June 28, 1997). ["Last Call at Nestle Beverage / Owner of Hills Bros. closes shop in S.F. as it moves to Glendale"](https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Last-Call-at-Nestle-Beverage-Owner-of-Hills-2820056.php). *[SFGATE](/source/SFGATE)* 1. Johnson, Greg (1999-12-07). ["Nestle USA to Sell Coffee Brands to Sara Lee"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-dec-07-fi-41323-story.html). *Los Angeles Times* 1. ["Sara Lee to sell U.S. retail coffee business to Segafredo Zanetti"](http://www.allbusiness.com/manufacturing/food-manufacturing-food-coffee-tea/853942-1.html). AllBusiness.com. 2005-12-20. ## External links - [Official website](https://www.mjbcoffee.com) - [Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA](http://www.mzb-usa.com/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [MJB (coffee)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MJB_(coffee)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MJB_(coffee)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.