Doug PollardTop Up Your Coffee Sir?
More Inglourias Jeans brand coffees: same homophobia
The boycott of Gloria Jeans over their $30,000 donation to the Australian Christian Lobby seems to have derailed their marketing plans for the time being. No word as yet about any impact on Gloria Jeans bottom line.
BOYCOTTS & FRANCHISEES
Some people have raised the question: is a boycott the correct tool to use in the circumstances? Isn’t it just going to hurt the little people – the franchisees who not only have to bear all the operating costs of their coffee shops, but must also pay a percentage of their profits to the parent company Jireh International Pty Ltd., and are forced to buy all their supplies from them, too?
“Jehovah-Jireh means "God who sees", or by implication "God will provide." The name comes from the Bible where Abraham was about to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. God stopped him and provided a ram for the sacrifice. Abraham named the place, "Jehovah-Jireh". Really Long Link
The owners of Jireh, Nabi Saleh and Peter Irvine, are both elders of Hillsong Church. Many of the franchisees, especially those who have been granted the plum territories, are also members of the church. They will be especially hard hit, since in addition to all the usual franchise costs, they tithe 10% of their income to Hillsong.
ALTERNATE TARGETS?
So I turned my attention to the question: where does Gloria Jeans get the coffee it makes its franchisees buy?
It turns out they are supplied by another Jireh-owned company, Maranatha Import Export Pty Ltd, also headed by . . . . . Nabi Saleh.
Maranatha is an Aramaic word that means “the Lord is coming” or “come, O Lord.”
MARANATHA & CAFE PALAZZO
This is where it gets interesting. From Maranatha's ad on Marketplace.Com :
“Our Core Passion is for coffee. Being the exclusive supplier to the Gloria Jeans Coffee chain, our coffee beans are sourced from the best regions from around the world.
“Maranatha markets the Café Palazzo range of Coffees, to the major retail chains, independent grocery, food service and hospitality channels.
“This provides a strong base to develop our associated range of Drinking Cocoas, Teas and Snack based products, via both the local development of new products and as the import agent for U.S. companies, such as ConAgra Foods and Ghirardelli.”
GLBTI club and cafe owners might like to reconsider any relationship they may have to Maranatha, and perhaps stop selling Cafe Palazzo coffee.
MARANATHA & WOOLWORTHS
If you want a bigger target than Gloria Jeans franchisees, how about “Australia’s Fresh Food People”?
Maranatha’s website tells me the company supplies “Private Label Coffee (i.e., house brand) for a major Supermarket Chain.”
The company also boasts that it has Woolworths WQA Quality Systems accreditation.
Woolworths website says:
“ To achieve certification to the Woolworths Quality Assurance Standard for all products supplied to Woolworths, as a Trade Partner you shall:
Develop, document and implement a Quality Management System that meets the requirements of the Woolworths Quality Assurance Standard, including the Category requirements specific for each product category.
Have the Quality Management System audited and certified by a “Woolworths Approved” Certification Body for products and processes supplied to Woolworths on a 6 monthly basis.”
Maranatha has also been selling the Cafe Palazzo range in Woolies deli section, according to reports in the retailer press.
According to Wikipedia, Maranatha has also supplied Coles, but I don’t know if that is still the case.
In any event, it might be advisable not to purchase Cafe Palazzo or Woolworth in-house coffees.
PRAISE INTERNATIONAL NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Lest my US readers are starting to feel left out:
“Jireh International Pty Ltd formed a North American Affiliate, Praise International North America, Inc. and as of June 14, 2009, which also operates It's A Grind Coffee House in 13 states.” Wikipedia
And of course they have Gloria Jeans there too.
But “It’s a Grind”? Bit raunchy for the god-squad, wouldn’t you say?
SALVATION ARMY
In the meantime, the Salvation Army has also come in for considerable criticism for their attitude to homosexuality in their own ranks. It’s worth knowing that according to Wikipedia “Gloria Jean’s Coffees also supports . . . . the Salvation Army. “
