H and H Coffee

Dedicated to the history of the Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Co. founded 1899 in San Antonio, Texas.

Fancy Peaberry

Hoffmann-Hayman peaberry coffee line in 1-pound paper-lined cartons. Documented in the 19 August 1917 San Antonio Express H&H wholesale roster (“Vol. 52, No. 231”): the line card lists “Fancy Peaberry in 1-lb. cartons” alongside Wesco, H. & H., Texco, Double H, Border, Broncho, Juanita, and Big Dime.

Likely renamed to Menger Peaberry between 1920 and 1923 as part of the post-Menger-takeover family-branding consolidation. The Menger Peaberry Coffee page carries a full “Fancy Peaberry → Menger Peaberry: wordmark transition” section documenting this rename hypothesis: the 1917 attestation and the 1923 Light products spread share identical pack format (1-lb paper-lined cartons) and peaberry positioning, with no overlap evidence to support coexistence. The rename window is 1920–1923, plausibly tied to Gus P. Menger’s January 1920 takeover of the firm.

Canonical record for the wordmark transition: see Menger Peaberry Coffee § Fancy Peaberry → Menger Peaberry. This stub records the earlier wordmark; the Menger Peaberry page records the rename history and post-1923 continuity.

Open questions

  • Was the brand H&H-created or Morrison-acquired? Not in the 28 Jan 1917 Morrison-acquisition Announcement list — suggesting H&H-created, but absence isn’t proof.
  • A 1921–1922 H&H ad or sales sheet naming the brand as “Fancy Peaberry” or “Menger Peaberry” would tighten the 1920–1923 rename window.
  • 1942 wholesale price-sheet presence/absence (covered on the Menger Peaberry page — neither wordmark appears; peaberry category continues only under unrelated bulk-tier SKUs)

See also