Help name my Coffee Bean Business

September 1, 2011 7:08 AM

Help name my coffee bean company. I'm very excited about this new venture that I just embarked on. I have all the logistics in place, but I'm still missing a Big piece of the puzzle, the name of the company. My choice for the name was " Una Voce "(one voice), because part of this venture will be to give back to the communities that produce the finest Coffee Beans in the world. These communities still lack some fundamental basics, like clean drinkable water, medical facilities, schooling for both children and adults. I will be funneling back some of the profits to improve the lives of our fellow humans. Two other names that I was thinking about were "One World" or "Human Beans". None of the names I have liked have received positive feedback, so I turn to you. I will keep everyone here posted on my decision and Thanks in Advance.
posted by roastermarv to Food & Drink (26 answers total)

Best answer: personally, i find "purpose names" off putting. it really makes me think of things like "operation enduring freedom." where are you from? what do you like? where are you sourcing your beans from? maybe give us some more information about your coffee (instead of your giving back ideas) to help us give you more ideas?

i feel like all the give back stuff is perfect for mission statements and mailings, but it seems preachy and, honestly, a little shady - like you're trying to guilt people into buying your coffee to help people instead of convincing people to buy it because it's good.
posted by nadawi at 7:14 AM on September 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

How about Solid Grounds Coffee?
posted by pupstocks at 7:19 AM on September 1, 2011

Human Beans and One World are taken for existing businesses in different areas, alas.

My favorite coffee company is simply named for its founder. Their model is similar to yours. I think a simple "Marv's Coffee Roasting Company" or " Roasters" will do fine. These are all similar companies, plenty of which have names which are clearly not overthought.
posted by mkb at 7:23 AM on September 1, 2011

Personally, I think coffee pun names are played out and cliche. As are message names for these organic coffee concerns.

Your name is Marvin...so, Paranoid Android Coffee. Well, worth a shot. :)
posted by inturnaround at 7:24 AM on September 1, 2011

Esspresso Yourself

Has Bean

Bean & Gone

Any Beans Necessary.


On Common Grounds (OK it works on a on Common Ground theme but makes your beans sound common so maybe not a great idea)

Sorry I like puns so I am no help what so ever in trying to get the serious side of your businesses ideas across
posted by wwax at 7:24 AM on September 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

Fundamental Basics Beans

...but I would leave the mission out of the name; +1 nadawi. Roaster Marv[in]'s sounds good; I imagine somebody so nutty over the art of roasting coffee beans that even his pals call him Roaster Marv, etc.
posted by kmennie at 7:25 AM on September 1, 2011

mkb has the right idea. Keep it simple, direct and organic.

Roastermarv's Coffee
posted by notyou at 7:26 AM on September 1, 2011

common grounds is the name for quite a few coffee houses. most bean puns have been taken for the same.
posted by nadawi at 7:27 AM on September 1, 2011

"Musical Fruit" isn't used, but that's not the beans you mean, is it?
posted by mkb at 7:28 AM on September 1, 2011

If you like "One Voice" (though I can't say I do*) would it make more sense to render it in the local language? Una Voz, maybe? (Or whatever the local language is?) Or Unavoz? Though that admittedly sounds somewhat Russian to me.

*"One Voice" seems inapt. For one, there is no single collective voice here, unless you're proposing to speak for them (which seems self-aggrandizing, to me). And secondly, you're talking about agricultural commerce, not speech or communication. It would be one thing if you were making a fair trade music label, but for coffee beans, "voice" seems irrelevant.

Global Blend? World Blend?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:29 AM on September 1, 2011

Response by poster: Good point, I am green in this department. I am an American citizen that has family in Nicaragua. I have been in the Analytical Chemistry field and I am now making my transition into the Coffee bean industry. I travel to Nicaragua twice a year and have been involved in organizations like Sonrisa, Red Cross and other smaller agencies. Transparency will be a big part of my business. In fact I hope to have a home base in Nicaragua that I can have people from around the world show up and put their talents to improve the lives there. For example an artist friend of mine wants to go and bring his skills to give instruction and materials to the people there. I hope to utilize facebook among other social networks to keep people posted on our activities. But Guilt has nothing to do with the name of the Coffee Bean, because of the experience and direct trade standards I follow, the customer will be assured the best product possible.
posted by roastermarv at 7:31 AM on September 1, 2011

*sobs* and here was me thinking I was managing to be all creative. So please ignore all my entries apparently coffee puns are out and I'm the only person left on the planet that still chuckles at them.

Maybe you could call it something like Karma Koffee because buying it will help your Karma. Pick just one aspect of what you like about your business and put that in the name.
posted by wwax at 7:31 AM on September 1, 2011

Best answer: Since you're talking about basic needs:

From the Ground Up Coffee.

Or, perhaps:

Brew Aha!
posted by jamjam at 7:36 AM on September 1, 2011

B.E.A.N.S
Could be and acronym for:

Be Extraordinary And Never Settle (i like this one because it could also be describing your beans)

Buy Energy and Neighborhood Support (it is descriptive of what you are doing...selling caffeine and helping communities)
posted by murrey at 7:36 AM on September 1, 2011

I think Una Voce is great.
posted by dirtdirt at 7:37 AM on September 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

Another idea would be to look for a free name generator on the web, and feed in some of the keywords you use above - Transparency, Free Trade, Voice, Nicaragua, etc. See what pops up.
posted by LN at 7:38 AM on September 1, 2011

Best answer: will all your beans be sourced from Nicaragua? if so, maybe something local from there, a river, an area, a name that means something to you personally instead of trying to mean something to everyone generally. then when you talk about your company you can say, "i called my company ______, because when i think of Nicaragua, i think of this one time that [story goes here]...and that's why it's so important for my focus to of course be the coffee, but also helping the lives of those that provide us these wonderful beans."

i also really like the marv idea. my favorite small coffee supplier uses his name. it makes the transaction feel personal. it gives it a different feel than something like starbucks or stumptown. i feel like there's this guy who really cares about my coffee and does what he can to always make the best product. i never feel like i'm a number in a queue or my coffee just rolled off the production line.
posted by nadawi at 7:43 AM on September 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

I like your username: Roaster Marv.
posted by John Cohen at 7:47 AM on September 1, 2011

I would go for a root word that uses Bene as in "good"

Benefactor Beans
Bene Beans



And then you have to have a local code: Bene There, Done That : a listing of locations

Kudos to you.
posted by effluvia at 7:56 AM on September 1, 2011

One Big World Coffee Beans
One Big Family
Family Coffee Roasters
posted by JXBeach at 8:05 AM on September 1, 2011

I'd keep it short and easy to spell. It's hard to beat "Marv"

Marv:coffee
Marv:beans

Anyways, my favorite coffee names are "counter culture" and "folgers". Just kidding about folgers.
posted by fzx101 at 8:06 AM on September 1, 2011

If you want to emphasize the Nicaraguan connection you could call it Ometepe or Granada or something.
posted by rkent at 8:20 AM on September 1, 2011

Genuine Beans - you have a powerful story, your response alone could make a great marketing blurb somewhere. I would second the emphasizing the local connection in your name.
posted by infini at 8:40 AM on September 1, 2011

Best answer: Yup, I would make the branding more personal, related to the region or something specific to your coffee beans. The main issue is the whole /charity/community outreach/ aspect of your business, but you know what? I don't think you explicitly need to have it in your company name as it might not be desirable to be a Charity Brand. As previously mentioned, that's not always the right branding. After all, you are running a business and not a actual charity, right?

Here are some of the words that I personally would spend some time on:
* Merv, Marvin
* EN & ES: Coffee, Coffee Beans
* EN & ES: Nicaragua, Nicaraguan
* EN & ES: name of closest region, county, village, valley, landmark, river, etc.
* EN & ES: something related to the craftsmanship or tools of the trade. Maybe you are using a special technique at the plantation?

Some name candidates:
* Granos de café de Merv: sounds genuine and the regional sounding Merv fits right in.

* Marvin + Coffee + Nicaragua: it exactly encapsulates what you're doing and sounds and looks very modern. Plus signs optional.

* Merv And The Coffee Beans: playful and descriptive.

* Nicaraguan Black Gold Plantation: sounds warm, authentic and luxurious. This is the place that coffee fanatics would go on a pilgrimage to.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 9:30 AM on September 1, 2011

Wake Up Stand Up Coffee
Communiffee

Also, what does the coffee taste like? There's cedary, citrusy, caramely, etc... Maybe a name that highlights the flavor?

(Um, what is a community without clean drinkable water going to use coffee beans for? Sounds like a luxury purchase in a community without luxury spenders)
posted by BurnChao at 10:20 AM on September 1, 2011

Response by poster: Some of the producers of these coffee beans are enjoying higher pay for their product, but in some cases it does not trickle down. Also it is very important to purchase Organic IMHO, for many reasons. One reason is the wet process utilized in Nicaragua often uses the local streams and the chemicals used to produce the beans then end up contaminating the streams. The farmers I use are all organic and they have a filtration system where the water that was used goes through sand and peat that strips any residue that might be in the water. I also check the housing of the workers and their over all moral, if the weakest link is taken care of in a humane way, then I can be assured the product was produced with skill as well as love for their product and environment.
I want to say Thank you to all, this info you are giving me is invaluable.
posted by roastermarv at 10:54 AM on September 1, 2011 [1 favorite]