The Human Bean

by Susan Shalhoub 

Jan White, a busy mom and entrepreneur, relies on quality coffee to keep her going. And as the owner of The Human Bean drive-thru coffee shop in Winter Springs, Jan helps her on-the-go customers power through their days, too.

The Human Bean offers a wide variety of coffee and tea classics, along with frozen drinks such as smoothies with real fruit, and specialty sodas that include Italian sodas. Also on the menu are Bright Energy drinks, made with clean caffeine extracted from green coffee beans.

Jan runs The Human Bean with a strong team of associates, including her 27-year-old daughter, Julita Haines. Jan is also mom to 11-year-old twin boys, who are more focused on baseball than coffee beans. 

Founded in Oregon in 1998, The Human Bean now has locations across the country. Drinks come with a chocolate-covered espresso bean on the lid to remind customers to be kind Human Beans.

“People love that,” says Jan, a Louisiana native with a philosophy degree. 

The Human Bean’s coffee beans are responsibly sourced, and the company coordinates charity giveback days, when corporate donations are made for every drink purchased. Those practices resonate with Jan, who takes pride in offering her customers a menu of delicious pick-me-ups to make their busy days a little brighter.