‘Beaner’s Central’ to Change Name for 20th Anniversary

Some have called the West Duluth coffee shop's name offensive

DULUTH, Minn. – A popular West Duluth coffee shop is changing its name after twenty years in business because some people believe the name is offensive.

Beaner’s Central has been a staple business on Central Avenue since 1999, but the owner has decided to change the cafe’s name, saying in a press release that the name is unintentionally “xenophobic and offensive.”

For twenty years, Beaner’s has striven to be a fun and inclusive place for everybody.

“We don’t want anyone feeling uncomfortable and we don’t want to deter any new friends from stopping by because of the name,” said Beaners’ owner, Jason Wussow.

For Wussow, that meant a change had to be made to the name some have found problematic.

“I told him back in the day, I said you know ‘Beaner’ is a derogatory term towards Hispanics and he was like, ‘Oh,'” said longtime Beaner’s customer, Curtis Bellows.

According to Wussow, the coffee shop and restaurant’s name was an honest mistake he made in 1999.

“Whatever thing we’d come up with, it seemed like there was a name already taken and at the last minute we had to come up with something to get our signs made and we said “bean, coffee bean, Beaner’s, Beaner’s on Central, Beaner’s Central, and it just kind of happened really fast,” explained Wussow.

He didn’t know there was anything offensive about the name for years, until he started hearing about it on music tours.

“I heard a little feedback when I was traveling with my band in areas like California, Las Cruces, New Mexico, it came up that that’s not so cool down here,” said Wussow.

Now, for the shops twentieth anniversary, the name will be changed to ‘Wussow’s Concert Cafe,’ a name Wussow thinks better represents the business model.

“We’re becoming a little more of a restaurant than just a coffeehouse and then the music is a totally different scene and then we also have the beer and wine for the nightlife as well while still keeping an all-age music venue alive,” said Wussow.

He estimates it will cost between $5,000-$10,000 to update signs and the website to the new name, but it’s worth it for Wussow and his customers to move forward as a place all of Duluth can be proud of.

“Jason loves everybody,” said Bellows. “Whatever you are, whoever you are, he accepts you here.”

Wussow’s is throwing a celebration for their 20th anniversary on July 26 and 27.

The entire celebration is free to the public. Here’s a list of performers:

Friday, July 26th:

6pm – Branditos
7pm – Jeffrey James
8pm – WoodBlind
9pm – Fractals
10pm – Father Hennepin

Saturday, July 27th:

Noon – Square Dance with Four Mile Portage & caller Kyler Ollah
1 pm – Best Dressed Dog Show & Ryan Lane
2pm – Dan the Monkey Man
3 pm – Ann Kathryn
4pm – Dave Mehling
5pm – Hardaybra
6pm – Cuckoo Bees
7pm – Charlie Parr
8pm – Salty Dogs