Beaner's Coffee changing its name
Beaner's Coffee, the third-largest retail coffee chain in the Midwest, announced today it will re-brand itself into Biggby Coffee.
The change will affect all 79 Beaner's stores, plus those under construction. Beaner's has a store at 21 S. Dunton Ave. in Arlington Heights. The conversion is expected to be complete by Jan. 31.
The need for a new name became evident because of growing concerns over the use of the word "beaner" as a disparaging term against Hispanic Americans, according to the East Lansing, Mich.-based company. The new name is a literal interpretation and a phonetic spelling of the large orange letter "B" that has become the icon for Beaner's and adorns all its signs, cups and other merchandise, the company stated.