The artist, who goes by @morbidink, says she created and submitted a custom design in November 2025 after being invited to participate in what she understood to be a design contest tied to a Better Buzz location in Bonita. According to her account, the opportunity came through a family member who was working at the store at the time, where employees had reportedly been told they could submit artwork for a custom merchandise release.
She says she spent hours developing the design, a stylized illustration featuring a bee holding a coffee cup set against a coastal landscape, and was informed within days that her submission had been selected as the winning design.
According to the artist, she was told the design would be used on apparel, that her social media handle would be included alongside the artwork, and that the products would include custom stickers. The artist proved around 80-100 stickers of her own logo to be included with the merchandise.
“No, I never signed anything,” she told SanDiegoVille. “And the only thing I was supposedly offered was going to be a hoodie.”
Despite being told her design had been selected, the artist says months passed with no further communication or updates. She was eventually contacted about participating in a photoshoot featuring the merchandise, but says that meeting ultimately fell through. At that point, she still had not seen the finished product.
The situation escalated when, weeks later, she was sent an image of a completed garment that appeared to feature a significantly altered version of her original design.
“No, I never signed anything,” she told SanDiegoVille. “And the only thing I was supposedly offered was going to be a hoodie.”
Despite being told her design had been selected, the artist says months passed with no further communication or updates. She was eventually contacted about participating in a photoshoot featuring the merchandise, but says that meeting ultimately fell through. At that point, she still had not seen the finished product.
The situation escalated when, weeks later, she was sent an image of a completed garment that appeared to feature a significantly altered version of her original design.
Images reviewed by SanDiegoVille show visual similarities between the original submission and the version printed on Better Buzz apparel, including overall layout and thematic elements, though with noticeable stylistic changes. The version used on the garment does not include the artist’s handle or attribution.
“I invested a great deal of time and thought into that design, so it was disappointing to see it significantly altered, along with the removal of my handle,” she said. “That felt misleading and disrespectful to the work I contributed.”
She added that if the company intended to move in a different direction, it would have been more appropriate to create an entirely original concept rather than modifying elements of her work.
“If the intention was to move in a different direction, it would have been more appropriate to pursue an original concept rather than modifying and using elements of an independent artist’s work,” she said.
The artist emphasized that her concerns are not rooted in financial compensation.
“My motivation was never financial - I genuinely appreciated their food and coffee and was excited to contribute,” she said. “However, the way this situation was handled reflects a lack of professionalism from management.”
A family member of the artist who previously worked at the Better Buzz Bonita location and requested anonymity due to concerns about backlash corroborated key aspects of the timeline. According to the former employee, the store had won an internal contest that allowed staff to create custom jackets to be produced, and employees were invited to submit designs for consideration.
The former employee said @morbidink’s design was selected through a vote among staff and was consistently communicated internally as the design that would be used.
“We were told to submit designs and whichever one was voted on would be the design we go with,” the former employee said. “Her design won and everyone voted for it, so that’s the design we were doing for the jackets.”
The employee further stated that management repeatedly confirmed that the submitted design would be used as-is and that no indication was given that any modifications would be made prior to production.
“She told me numerous times that the design we submitted was the design we were going with,” the former employee said. “But that’s not what it turned out to be.”
Messages reviewed by SanDiegoVille show ongoing coordination around the anticipated release of the merchandise and attempts to schedule promotional photos, though the release was delayed and the final product differed from what had originally been presented.
In response to a request for comment, Better Buzz Coffee provided the following statement through Vice President of Marketing Amanda Cameron:
“We’re aware of the concerns that have been raised and take creative work and intellectual property seriously. The sweatshirt mentioned was created as a one-time internal thank-you gift for team members at a single Better Buzz location. It was never sold or offered to the public. Our team created the final design using input that was voluntarily shared by a store employee for that specific purpose, and it was refined through our normal creative process. We don’t believe there was any unauthorized use of an artist’s work. Some of the public conversation doesn’t reflect the full context, and out of respect for our team and our internal programs, we won’t be commenting further. As I stated, there was no design contest, so there was no design winner. There were 50 internal shirts produced for team members, they were not sold. The design was represented as inspiration for what the team members designed for the shirt.”
The company did not address specific questions regarding attribution, communication with the artist, or whether any formal terms governed submitted designs.
Better Buzz Coffee, founded in San Diego in 2002, has grown into one of the region’s most recognizable café brands, with more than a dozen locations across San Diego County and continued expansion into other markets including Arizona, Nevada, and Orange County.
The company has also faced increased scrutiny in recent years related to labor conditions. In 2024, workers at multiple locations, including Hillcrest and Mira Mesa, voted to unionize under UFCW Local 135, citing concerns about wages, scheduling, and benefits amid the company’s rapid growth.
This remains a developing story.
“I invested a great deal of time and thought into that design, so it was disappointing to see it significantly altered, along with the removal of my handle,” she said. “That felt misleading and disrespectful to the work I contributed.”
She added that if the company intended to move in a different direction, it would have been more appropriate to create an entirely original concept rather than modifying elements of her work.
“If the intention was to move in a different direction, it would have been more appropriate to pursue an original concept rather than modifying and using elements of an independent artist’s work,” she said.
The artist emphasized that her concerns are not rooted in financial compensation.
“My motivation was never financial - I genuinely appreciated their food and coffee and was excited to contribute,” she said. “However, the way this situation was handled reflects a lack of professionalism from management.”
A family member of the artist who previously worked at the Better Buzz Bonita location and requested anonymity due to concerns about backlash corroborated key aspects of the timeline. According to the former employee, the store had won an internal contest that allowed staff to create custom jackets to be produced, and employees were invited to submit designs for consideration.
The former employee said @morbidink’s design was selected through a vote among staff and was consistently communicated internally as the design that would be used.
“We were told to submit designs and whichever one was voted on would be the design we go with,” the former employee said. “Her design won and everyone voted for it, so that’s the design we were doing for the jackets.”
The employee further stated that management repeatedly confirmed that the submitted design would be used as-is and that no indication was given that any modifications would be made prior to production.
“She told me numerous times that the design we submitted was the design we were going with,” the former employee said. “But that’s not what it turned out to be.”
Messages reviewed by SanDiegoVille show ongoing coordination around the anticipated release of the merchandise and attempts to schedule promotional photos, though the release was delayed and the final product differed from what had originally been presented.
In response to a request for comment, Better Buzz Coffee provided the following statement through Vice President of Marketing Amanda Cameron:
“We’re aware of the concerns that have been raised and take creative work and intellectual property seriously. The sweatshirt mentioned was created as a one-time internal thank-you gift for team members at a single Better Buzz location. It was never sold or offered to the public. Our team created the final design using input that was voluntarily shared by a store employee for that specific purpose, and it was refined through our normal creative process. We don’t believe there was any unauthorized use of an artist’s work. Some of the public conversation doesn’t reflect the full context, and out of respect for our team and our internal programs, we won’t be commenting further. As I stated, there was no design contest, so there was no design winner. There were 50 internal shirts produced for team members, they were not sold. The design was represented as inspiration for what the team members designed for the shirt.”
The company did not address specific questions regarding attribution, communication with the artist, or whether any formal terms governed submitted designs.
Better Buzz Coffee, founded in San Diego in 2002, has grown into one of the region’s most recognizable café brands, with more than a dozen locations across San Diego County and continued expansion into other markets including Arizona, Nevada, and Orange County.
The company has also faced increased scrutiny in recent years related to labor conditions. In 2024, workers at multiple locations, including Hillcrest and Mira Mesa, voted to unionize under UFCW Local 135, citing concerns about wages, scheduling, and benefits amid the company’s rapid growth.
This remains a developing story.
Originally published on April 4, 2026.