How John Neate built JJ Bean

Back in the late 1990s, John Neate had a brilliant idea: “Why not open a coffee shop and take on Starbucks?”

“Why would you!?” is the question that comes to mind. John’s answer: “Well, I’m competitive.”

John looked at the landscape of available coffee locations and picked the east side of the east side of Vancouver. A place with a tough reputation. Why make it easy when you can do it the hard way?

With the location picked, what would make JJ Bean stand out from the competition? Espresso – great espresso – would define the brand. Espresso that, he insisted, you drank in a porcelain cup in the coffee shop. “If we could get diehard espresso lovers to love our coffee, then they would tell their friends and they would tell their friends and so on.”

It’s a philosophy that percolates into every aspect of the business.