Green Beans Gets 'Today' Show Shot

Green Beans Gets 'Today' Show Shot
By Ben Antonius

FAIRFIELD - The publicity keeps rolling in for Green Beans Coffee.

After several newspaper features, the globetrotting coffee company was visited on March 15 by a film crew from NBC's "Today" morning program.

"They were interested in the Green Beans story," said Operations Manager JR Rodriguez, who was interviewed by the crews. A company spokesman said they have not gotten an air date for the segment from NBC.

The interest comes as Green Beans is launching its first permanent stores on U.S. soil. For years, the company consisted of a handful of mobile coffee shops following American military deployments around the world.

With its brand recognition strongest in the military, the company opened its first two stores in Fairfield and Vacaville, near the population stationed at Travis Air Force Base.

Rodriguez said the television interview focused on how Green Beans will make the transition from overseas bases, where it was often the only premium coffee available, to the competitive domestic market.

"Mainly, how we expect to compete in this type of business with Starbucks and the like," he said. "I gave them the answer I give everyone: We are not here to compete with Starbucks . . . We are bringing something to the market no other coffee company can say they can do."

That something would be Green Beans history with the military and its continued involvement with military-affiliated charities, he said. The company offers a 10 percent discount to members of the military and donates a portion of its gross sales to the Pat Tillman Foundation, Soldiers' Angels and the Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund.

Reach Ben Antonius at bantonius@dailyrepublic.net or 427-6977.