The Human Bean

Name

The Human Bean

Legal name

Casey Hawkins, Inc.

Website

https://thehumanbean.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Drive-Thru Services

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Drive-Thru Coffee Stands & Coffee Kiosks (THAFADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Espresso Bars & Coffee Bars (THAFADAD), Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG), Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Coffee (CRADAHAF), Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA), RTD Coffee Production (Non-Dairy/Non-Alcoholic) (AFAFABAE)

Keywords

• Drive-thru coffee
• Specialty espresso beverages
• Coffee franchise
• Loyalty rewards app
• Grab-and-go food

Headquarters

HQ city

Medford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees and Royalty Income: The Human Bean generates revenue through franchise fees from new franchise owners and ongoing royalty payments based on franchisee sales. Franchisees pay an initial franchise fee and continue paying a percentage of their revenue to the franchisor.
2. Drive-Thru Retail Coffee Sales: Direct revenue from beverage and food sales at company-owned and franchise drive-thru locations. Customers purchase specialty coffee drinks, espresso beverages, and related products at each location.
3. Merchandise and Online Shop: Revenue from branded merchandise sales through the company's online storefront, including apparel, drinkware, and other branded items.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Human Bean operates a nationwide network of drive-thru coffee stands that sell specialty espresso beverages, blended drinks, teas, lemonades, sodas, energy drinks, and grab-and-go food items directly to consumers at the window. The business is structured as a franchise system in which independent owner-operators run more than 216 locations across 23 U.S. states, supported by a central brand, proprietary products (such as the Bright Energy line), and a mobile rewards platform.

Product overview

The Human Bean is a drive-thru coffee franchise offering specialty coffee, espresso-based beverages, and a diverse range of refreshment drinks across over 216 locations in 23 states. The product portfolio centers on the Coffee Classics menu (mochas, lattes, cappuccinos) complemented by the proprietary Bright® Energy drink line featuring clean caffeine from green coffee beans. The offering extends to Frozen Favorites (granitas, smoothies), Tea & Lemonade options, Soda & H2B beverages including OLIPOP gut-healthy sodas and Dirty Sodas, and a Little Beans kids' menu. Food items (sandwiches, egg bites, baked goods) and a mobile Rewards App with tiered loyalty benefits (Beans currency, birthday rewards) enhance the core beverage business. Seasonal and limited-time drinks rotate regularly through the 'What's New' category, with recent innovations including Iced Shaken Espresso (2025), Sour Boba (2025), and various OLIPOP collaborations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bright Energy: Proprietary energy drink made with clean caffeine sourced from green coffee beans, available in Original, Sugar-Free, and Lime varieties.
• Snowy Mocha

Products and services

• Coffee Classics Core espresso-based beverage menu featuring signature drinks including Café Latte, Cappuccino, Americano, Café Mocha, Snowy Mocha, and various flavored mochas, offered hot, iced, or blended to drive-thru consumers.
• Bright® Energy Proprietary energy drink line exclusive to The Human Bean with clean caffeine sourced from green coffee beans. Offered in Original, Sugar-Free, and Lime base options with customizable flavor additions, providing 160mg caffeine per 16oz serving.
• What's New (Seasonal & Limited-Time Drinks) Rotating selection of seasonal and limited-time beverages including new flavors, experimental drinks, and special collaborations such as the Red White and Blue Shake, Birthday Cake Granita, Iced Shaken Espresso, Sour Boba, and OLIPOP collaboration drinks.
• Frozen Favorites Frozen and blended beverage collection including Granitas (frozen espresso), Java Chip, Frozen Hot Chocolate, and Real Fruit Smoothies in various dairy-free and regular options.
• Tea, Lemonade & More Non-coffee refreshment beverages including Tea Lemonade, Matcha Lemonade, Smith Teas, Chai, Mango Lemonade, Strawberry Fields Lemonade, and iced tea options.
• Soda & H2B Sparkling beverage collection featuring OLIPOP gut-healthy sodas, Italian Sodas, Dirty Sodas (creamy soda with sweet cream), and H2B signature drinks with various fruit flavor combinations.
• Little Beans Kid-friendly beverage menu featuring smaller portions of smoothies, hot chocolate, steamers, and Italian sodas designed for children.
• Grab-and-Go Food Menu Grab-and-go food items including Breakfast & Lunch Sandwiches such as the Spicy Sausage Pepper Jack & Egg Jalapeño Biscuit, Egg Bites in Three Cheese and Bacon & Cheese varieties, Muffins, Bagels, Cake Pops, and Cookies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 204,000 meals provided to communities through food bank partnerships
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ToastcoreTechnology or IntegrationThe Human Bean adopted Toast's Point-of-Sale system across its franchise locations for order management, payment processing, and operational efficiency. This technology integration enables streamlined operations across the franchise network.
• OlipopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for summer drink products, including the Ridge Rush Olipop collaboration. Joint product development for seasonal beverage offerings featuring Olipop's functional soda in Human Bean locations.
• Trees for the FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partnership supporting reforestation efforts. The Human Bean contributes to tree planting initiatives, having planted over 328,782 trees through this partnership as part of Earth Day and ongoing sustainability programs.
• St. Jude Children's Research HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual giveback partnership supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The company conducts yearly fundraising campaigns, with the Coffee for a Cure campaign raising a record $575,640 in 2025 and cumulative giving exceeding $4.7 million.
• ACCESScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ACCESS food bank in Medford, Oregon supporting community food security. The Human Bean has contributed over 204,000 meals through this partnership, addressing food insecurity in the local community.
• Coffee Kinder ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational community program supporting Guatemala through coffee-related charitable initiatives. The program provides support to coffee-growing communities in Guatemala.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Biggby Coffee: Biggby Coffee is a US coffee franchise with hundreds of locations, predominantly in the Midwest, with a drive-thru-heavy footprint. Its menu, franchise model, and value positioning overlap with The Human Bean.
• Dutch Bros Coffee: Dutch Bros is the largest publicly listed US drive-thru coffee chain, with a nearly identical format of espresso-based drinks, proprietary beverages, and rapid franchise/corporate expansion. It is the most direct comparable for The Human Bean's drive-thru coffee model and growth trajectory.
• Black Rock Coffee Bar: Black Rock Coffee Bar operates drive-thru and walk-up coffee locations across the Western and Midwestern US, with a similar specialty beverage menu. It competes for similar suburban drive-thru sites and consumers.
• Scooter's Coffee: Scooter's Coffee is a drive-thru-focused coffee franchise with 700+ locations across the Midwest and Sunbelt. Its kiosk/double-drive-thru format, espresso-based menu, and franchise-led growth make it a direct peer.
• PJ's Coffee: PJ's Coffee is a specialty coffee franchise founded in New Orleans that operates drive-thru and cafe locations. It overlaps with The Human Bean on espresso-driven menus and franchise-driven regional expansion.
• 7 Brew: 7 Brew is a fast-growing drive-thru coffee franchise operating double-drive-thru stands across multiple US states. It competes head-to-head with The Human Bean for drive-thru real estate, franchisees, and similar on-the-go coffee consumers.

Others

• Blue Bottle Coffee: Blue Bottle Coffee (owned by Nestle) is a premium specialty coffee brand with cafe locations and retail coffee products. It is comparable on specialty coffee positioning and merchandise/whole-bean retail, though not on drive-thru format.

Broad incumbents

• Starbucks: Starbucks is the dominant US coffee chain and sets the baseline for category expectations on menu, digital loyalty, and product innovation. It does not focus on drive-thru-only formats but competes broadly for specialty coffee occasions.
• Dunkin': Dunkin' is a national coffee and breakfast chain with a strong drive-thru presence and value-oriented positioning. It is a broader incumbent competing for similar on-the-go morning coffee occasions.

Emerging players

• Foxtail Coffee Co. Foxtail Coffee is a Southeast US specialty coffee chain with drive-thru and cafe formats. It is a smaller, emerging peer targeting a similar specialty-coffee consumer with a growing footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thehumanbean
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thehumanbeancoffeefranchise
• Instagraminstagram.com/thehumanbean
• Pinterestpinterest.com/humanbeancoffee/_created
• Xx.com/humanbeaninc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Human Bean