Jay Sorensen

Jay Sorensen is an American inventor, real estate broker,[1] and entrepreneur best known for inventing the coffee cup sleeve in 1991,[2] and founding Java Jacket, a company manufacturing coffee cup sleeves, in 1993.[3]

Previous work

Sorensen managed a "family business" gas station in Portland, Oregon until Shell Oil ceased operations there. He then worked in real estate, but by his own account "wasn't very good at it".[4][5]

Inventing the coffee cup sleeve

Sorensen had the idea first in 1989, when he was taking his daughter to school and burnt his fingers due to his drive-thru restaurant coffee, dropping the full 12 ounces into his lap.[2][6] He later invented it in 1991,[2] and patented it in 1995.

Java Jacket

Sorensen formed Java Jacket in 1993 and it was an instant hit. His wife Colleen also worked for the business.[3][7]

Today, Java Jacket sells over one billion coffee cup sleeves a year.[2]

Troubles with Starbucks

Sorensen offered the product to Starbucks, which had interest in the product, but Sorensen did not accept the conditions of operating- Starbucks demanded exclusive rights and spent eight months "dragging its feet" about the product, wanting alterations and trying to "play hardball on price".[3][8][9]

A patent war began between Java Jacket and Starbucks; Sorensen called the Starbucks version "a direct infringement of ours" and filed a cease-and-desist order. Designing around Sorensen's patents, Starbucks was eventually able to create the Coffee Clutch, a product like the Java Jacket.[3][10]

References
  1. Stim, Richard (2020-08-25). Profit From Your Idea: How to Make Smart Licensing Deals. Nolo. ISBN 978-1-4133-2791-5.
  2. Magazine, Smithsonian. "How the Coffee Cup Sleeve Was Invented". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  3. "The Java Jacket Idea and Patent Wars". For Sale By Inventor. 2022-09-30. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  4. https://money.cnn.com/2003/05/21/pf/saving/dreams_q_ragsriches
  5. https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2001/11/01/312461/
  6. https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2001/11/01/312461/
  7. https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2001/11/01/312461/
  8. https://money.cnn.com/2003/05/21/pf/saving/dreams_q_ragsriches/
  9. https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2001/11/01/312461/
  10. "To Serve & Protect Compared to the typical entrepreneur, Jay Sorensen seems an unlikely candidate for success. A few jobs didn't work out, his career was foundering... ...and then he got his big break--his divine inspiration--from a drive-through window and a tumbling cup of hot coffee. - November 1, 2001". money.cnn.com. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
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