Austria
Coffee specialist Julius Meinl is changing its logo – and abolishing the “Mohr”
The logo of the famous delicatessen store had been criticized for a long time – now Julius Meinl has revised his trademark.
After a long renovation, the famous “Meinl am Graben” in Vienna, probably the most famous branch of the Austrian coffee and delicatessen retailer Julius Meinl, will open again on Friday. Much will be new there, not only the interior design and the sales area, but also the logo that is emblazoned on the outside of the shop and on numerous packaging.
So far, Julius Meinl used the stylized head of an African child with a fez as a headgear as a trademark. In 1924, when it was invented, this logo corresponded to the zeitgeist – but today, according to many people, it no longer does. Especially since the boy with the fez was supposed to symbolize an African slave who grew coffee in the Ottoman Empire. After criticism of the “Meinl-Mohr” had been loud for a number of years, the managing directors saw it.
Julius Meinl: The “Meinl-Mohr” is no longer up to date
The motif was no longer up to date, said Herbert Vlasaty. And so it was revised to match the new opening and now only shows the Fez. Underneath the elegant lettering “House of Meinl”. A compromise that both critics and traditionalists can probably live with. The newly designed branch in the center of Vienna is also elegant: the company invested around seven million euros to whip up the business, which is particularly popular with tourists.
In the future they wanted to offer more meat and fish in addition to the famous coffee, so a wine bar and restaurant had to give way. The coffee bar has remained. In the past five months, attempts have been made to make “Meinl am Graben” fit for the future by installing modern technology during the renovation, while preserving the building’s nostalgic charm, says co-managing director Udo Kaubek. “We are opening a new chapter today.”
Source: “OE24.de”