Selkirk , Manitoba, Canada - 26 July, 2004 -

For Jean Daum, it was a coffee break heard around the world. The St. Clements resident and creator of the popular Coffee News hoped her idea of a small publication aimed at coffee shops would be successful when it hit counters 16 years ago -- but she never dreamed it would evolve into an international phenomenon. With more than 500 franchises in 34 countries, Coffee News is the largest franchised publication in the world -- and its headquarters is in East Selkirk. "I never dreamed of something like this," said Daum. "I never thought it would do what it has done, but things have just taken off." Coffee News is now found in restaurants and coffee shops across Manitoba. It contains jokes, unusual stories, trivia, horoscopes and other "gotta read" content. Daum's idea came to her innocently enough. Alone during a Winnipeg restaurant coffee break in 1988, she began reading sugar packets and other available signage out of boredom. INTENSE RESEARCH A former newspaper publisher who saw her business slip away because of continuous distribution troubles, the idea of putting out an entertaining publication geared for people on their coffee breaks popped into her head. "I wanted to find a way of bringing information to communities through coffee shop distribution and this was a natural," Daum said. Knowing the pitfalls of running a business, Daum did six months of intense research. As a result, the look, design and colour of Coffee News incorporates 17 different psychological and learning effects to catch a reader's attention. Starting in Winnipeg, the Coffee News spread to Thompson and The Pas and finally the world. The first non-Canadian franchise was launched in Bangor, Maine, in 1994. "I pretty much fell into the franchising but we get at least 20 requests daily to open new franchises," Daum said. Even her daughter is now a franchise owner. Leslie Daum launched her edition of the Coffee News in Selkirk two months ago. "It took a long time and travelled around the world, but I can finally get it in my hometown," Daum said with a laugh.

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