# Coffee in a Cone

> A Johannesburg coffee cone spread online; its founder claimed 50 million impressions.

- Owner: Dayne Levinrad / The Grind Coffee Company
- Kind: Food & drink
- Sector: Food & beverage
- Seed date: Jan 2016
- Peak date: 2016-05-20
- Date basis: Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 24 (Niche, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Visible in use, Press loop, Dupe economy, Maker origin, Scarcity drop, Platform jump

## Summary

The Grind launched a chocolate-lined coffee cone in Johannesburg. Customer photos drew press coverage and visitors to the cafe. Other cafes copied the form; distribution deals and a factory expanded the branded cones overseas.

## Timeline

- Jan 2016 — Dayne Levinrad / The Grind Coffee Company (Retail) — The Grind launched Coffee in a Cone in Johannesburg.
- Jan 2016 — Dayne Levinrad (Instagram) — Levinrad posted his first coffee-cone photo on Instagram in early January.
- 2016-05-20 — CNN Wire (Press) — CNN covered the Instagram buzz during a May press burst; the maximum-attention date remained unverified.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/coffee-in-a-cone

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Coffee in a Cone.” Case HIS-00097. Spread Score v1.2: 24/100. Updated 2026-10-17. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00097