Bean Good! Rosslyn Coffee Shop Ditches Franchise Tag

When asked to sign a hefty 25-year contract in order to maintain it's Greenberry's franchise tag, the owner of one of Rosslyn's most popular coffee shops declined.

Local business owner Shain Noorali decided to ditch the corporate branding -- and the fees that accompany it -- opting instead to go it alone and change the cafe's name to "Bean Good! The Coffee Pub."

The neighborhood coffee shop is one of several popular haunts in a short row of storefronts along Wilson Boulevard -- a strip that includes the famous Ray's Hell Burger and the always-busy Pho 79.

Avoiding prohibitive franchise fees was not the only reason Bean Good! decided to go independent. The owner and management also wanted an opportunity to expand the food and beverage offerings. With the legal constraints that come with being part of a franchise now lifted, Bean Good! will be able to expand and diversify their menu.

"We wanted to increase the food offerings, improve the bakery and sell a wider variety of coffee beans," barista Hector Urrutia said.

The cafe will also eventually be able to serve beer and wine. Management hopes to have a  liquor license by the end of the summer.

Other changes will happen sooner, like a wider selection of sweets (potentially cupcakes and gelato) and live music in the evenings.

Most customers seem unfazed by changes in name and logo, or just completely unaware that anything is different. The coffee beans may have changed, but the smiling faces of the baristas taking one's order remain mostly the same.

"I've been here for an afternoon pick-me-up several times over the last few weeks," local resident Jessie Read said. "But I'm only just now noticing the changed name."

With much of Rosslyn characterized by Starbucks, Chipotles and corporate office buildings, Bean Good! hopes they can inflect a more independent spirit on the neighborhood. And since business hasn't seemed to dip since the cafe made the name switch, so far, so good.