The week of July 11, I reached the owner of a West Coast company who also has been an American Mug & Stein customer. I reached out to American Mug & Stein again through its Facebook page and searched in vain online for any news articles that might give me a sense of the company’s status. And I heard occasional cracking sounds for days afterward. I had two left in inventory, so I conducted my own test, pouring boiling water into one of the mugs. The problem seems to be just with the mint mugs. Both said no in fact, one said her husband loves it and uses it all the time. Meanwhile, I reached out to two friends who bought the ivory versions of the mugs in 2021, asking whether they had experienced any problems. I told them about the North Dakota customer’s similar issue and that I hoped to get some clarity from the manufacturer. I apologized to the Missouri customers and refunded their money. On top of that, every now and then I kept hearing tiny little pops coming from the mugs as, I assume, the cracking continued spreading. For what it's worth, my friend also ordered the same mugs and his mugs did the same.” But I was disappointed, to say the least. “I think they are only surface cracks, as nothing leaked out. “Basically, the entire surface is ‘spider-webbed’ with hairline cracks,” he wrote. He said he loved the look and feel of the mugs, but the photos he shared belied the performance issue. I attempted to do that starting with an email to American Mug & Stein on July 4 and the first of three follow-up phone calls (each went to voice mail) on July 5.Īlas, also on July 5, I received an email from the other Missouri customer. I thanked him for sharing photos of his damaged mug, reimbursed him in full, and told him I would speak with the manufacturer.

I apologized and told him that, of course, we would rectify the situation. The Fourth of July, of all days, found me corresponding with the North Dakota customer, who had shared his disappointment with his mug cracking inside and out. The problems started once the customers poured hot coffee into them. The five mugs arrived safely at their destinations. Anyway we both ordered a set and are pretty excited to try them out.”ĭiner mugs are a challenge to ship, both for their fragility and weight, but I got the packages off straightaway (which is to say, how we always ship). businesses and I figure you got to put your money where your mouth is. We both feel passionately about supporting U.S.

“I found your site and passed it along to him. “My best friend and I were lamenting the lack of proper American-made mugs, and started searching,” wrote a customer from Cape Girardeau, Mo.

And while the response to them was more tepid than I would have liked, within three days in June we experienced a modest spike in activity with orders for the mint mugs coming from North Dakota and Missouri. We ordered a small quantity of them, in ivory and mint, from American Mug & Stein Co.

Given our love of diners, it should come as no surprise that when we introduced a curated selection of American-made gift and household items, a diner mug was among the items. We’d trade bacon and eggs for a bank branch any day. One of our family’s favorite Christmas morning traditions, borne out of a desire to slow the pace of present-opening when our children were younger, is to have a half-time breakfast at the Cocoa Diner near Hershey.Īnd no offense to the Wells Fargo across the street from the Stay compound, but we’d prefer for that be converted to a classic American diner.

Second chance diner