# The Human Bean

> The Human Bean is a drive-thru specialty coffee franchise founded in Ashland, Oregon in 1998 by Dan and Rhonda Hawkins with Tom and Tami Casey. From a single kiosk in Southern Oregon it has grown to roughly 180-200 open locations across two dozen states, with 260-plus open or in development. It sells espresso drinks, blended freezes, smoothies, teas, chai, matcha and its own Bright energy drinks - each finished with a chocolate-covered espresso bean - and buys its coffee directly from farmers through a program called Farm Friendly Direct.

- **Founded:** 1998
- **Headquarters:** Medford, Oregon, United States
- **Founders:** Dan Hawkins (Co-Founder, President & CEO), Rhonda Hawkins (Co-Founder), Tom Casey (Co-Founder, Vice President), Tami Casey (Co-Founder)
- **Team size:** Approximately 5,000+ across the franchise network (self-reported; corporate headcount is smaller, roughly 500-1,000).
- **Products:** Espresso & brewed coffee, Blended freezes & smoothies, Teas, chai & matcha, Bright energy drinks, Little Beans kids menu
- **Notable:** Ranked #97 on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 in 2026 (up from #126 in 2025 and #131 in 2024), on the list 12+ consecutive years., Coffee for a Cure has raised more than $4.2 million for breast cancer causes over 20 years., Raised over $70,000 for St. Jude in its 2024 Giveback Day.

## Products & services

- **Espresso & brewed coffee** — Hot and iced lattes, mochas, americanos and drip coffee roasted on Probat roasters, each drink finished with a chocolate-covered espresso bean.
- **Blended freezes & smoothies** — Frozen blended coffee drinks and real-fruit smoothies aimed at warm-weather and non-coffee customers.
- **Teas, chai & matcha** — Hot and iced teas, chai lattes, matcha and steamers, plus Italian sodas and hot chocolate.
- **Bright energy drinks** — The Human Bean's proprietary customizable energy drink line targeting younger customers.
- **Little Beans kids menu** — Kid-friendly steamers and drinks for family customers.
- **Retail beans & merchandise** — Whole-bean and ground coffee, gift cards and branded merchandise sold in-store and online via Shopify.
- **Franchise program** — Turnkey drive-thru franchise opportunity with a 1% brand fee, begun in 2002.

## Achievements

- Ranked #97 on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 in 2026 (up from #126 in 2025 and #131 in 2024), on the list 12+ consecutive years.
- Coffee for a Cure has raised more than $4.2 million for breast cancer causes over 20 years.
- Raised over $70,000 for St. Jude in its 2024 Giveback Day.
- Funded 213,000+ trees through its Earth Day partnership with Trees for the Future.
- Grew from a single 1998 kiosk to 260+ locations open or in development.

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Named to Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 at #97, its highest ranking to date.
- **2025-10** — Held its 20th annual Coffee for a Cure Giveback Day and expanded its brand-wide Toast POS partnership.
- **2024-07** — First St. Jude Giveback Day raised over $70,000.

## Links

- Website: https://thehumanbean.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thehumanbeancoffee
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/HumanBeanInc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehumanbean/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehumanbean/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thehumanbean

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/the-human-bean
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-14