TheScooterScoop

(Ouch! Hot!…Coffee…bean… bears *wife’s lookin’*)

If you’ve got a modern scooter that needs a kick-in-the-pants and you’ve searched the web, chances are you’ve run into Martin Racing Performance (MRP). Joel Martin, an after-market maven, managed to turn his 1994 Malaguti import business into the performance tower of power-sports that it is today. So what’s next? Why, Coffee Bean Bears, of course! WHAT?!

Haha! Well, you know… I’d try to make the connection for you, but I’m trying to retain the last of my remaining braincells, plus I think this press release does a fine job of putting it together for me.

I like the connection he makes. The missing link? JavaSpeed! Check it out:

Motorcycles and Teddy Bears, A Match Made In…Miami

Miami, FL, 09/13/06 -Can you think of any two products that are more different? Most would agree that teddy bears and motorcycles are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum in so many areas (edginess, safety, and size…just to name a few). That didn’t stop Joel Martin, President of Miami based MRP Racing and Chris Esposito, former VP of Malaguti USA from launching their new venture, Coffee Bean Bears.

Coffee Bean Bears are billed as, “The perfect gift or collectible for any coffee lover!” Each style of these premium bears are stuffed with a different flavor of gourmet organic coffee beans, emitting an amazing aroma. Every Coffee Bean Bear comes packaged in a collectible tin, and includes a sampler pack of ground coffee, as well as a uniquely numbered Coaster of Authenticity to indicate that each bear is one of a kind.

So how did these motorcycle guys jump into the world of cuddly plush? The truth is it’s the coffee, not the bears, that is actually the connection. Before launching MRP, the nation’s largest distributor of scooter parts and accessories, Martin and Esposito previously ran Malaguti USA, the company that exclusively imported the Malaguti line of scooters and motorcycles from Italy. Coffee is a very important part of Italian culture with Italy having been the birthplace of espresso. In fact, it was the coffee bars in Italy that inspired entrepreneur Howard Schultz, to open up a local coffee shop in Seattle by the name of Il Giornale, later to be know as Starbucks. Similarly, it was this exposure to this same cultural infatuation with this beverage that spawned the idea for the coffee stuffed bears.

Many scooter and motorcycle shops have already forged this connection between coffee and motorcycles. Some simply offer free self service coffee, others offer complimentary espresso based drinks, and some even go as far as opening up a full service café inside the dealership. A great example of this is Javaspeed located in Providence, RI. In addition to servicing and selling new and used scooters, they offer freshly roasted coffee in their showroom to encourage customers to relax and to provide their neighborhood with a fun new hangout. Javaspeed is now also a Coffee Bean Bear retailer.

Martin made it a point to state, “In no way do we believe that motorcycle dealers are going to be our primary distribution channel. However, with our tight connection to the industry, we couldn’t let this opportunity pass us by. I speak to dozens of shops everyday and many of them are looking for alternative sources of revenue. Coffee accompanied by coffee-related products like the Coffee Bean Bears, could be the answer.”

MRP will be offering complimentary Coffee Bean Bears with orders placed at the annual Indianapolis trade show. Details to follow.

For wholesale pricing and information on carrying Coffee Bean Bears in your retail location, contact Chris Esposito via email, chris@coffeebeanbears.com or call 1-866-364-8568. Product photos are available for publishing and product samples are available for review.