Mother Teresa Asks Coffeehouse to Dunk ‘Nun Bun’ Promotion

NASHVILLE — Mother Teresa won’t even allow her name on Bibles to raise money for the poor. She’s not about to let a Nashville coffeehouse profit from a cinnamon bun resembling her.

Last October, Bongo Java shellacked a bun and enshrined it in a counter display after a customer discerned a likeness of the nun. The coffeehouse later began selling T-shirts, mugs, prayer cards and other items emblazoned with an image of the “nun bun.”

This week, the coffeehouse received a signed letter from Mother Teresa asking it to stop the merchandising. On Thursday, owner Bob Bernstein agreed to comply, at least for now.

“My legal counsel . . . has written asking you to stop, and now I am personally asking you to stop,” Mother Teresa wrote from Calcutta. “I do know that you have not done anything out of ill will, and so trust that you will understand and respect my wish. . . . God bless you.”

Bernstein said he’ll confer with Mother Teresa’s attorneys before deciding whether to pull the merchandise permanently.

“I’ve made so little money on this that there’s no point antagonizing anybody,” Bernstein said.

Attorney Jim Towey, who has represented Mother Teresa for 12 years, said she strictly forbids use of her name, voice or likeness for commercial ventures, even if it could raise money for her own Missionaries of Charity.

He said Mother Teresa “has a great sense of humor and wasn’t concerned at first,” until the coffeehouse decided to sell “Mother Teresa’s special roast coffee” and other items. The shop has since removed her name from the merchandise and was promoting only the bun’s likeness.

“We’re not trying to be martyrs. We’re just trying to run a little business and have a little fun,” Bernstein said.