Beloved MN Company 'Pressing Pause' After 12 Years

ST. PAUL, MN — After more than 12 years of business and philanthropy, Minnesota’s beloved apparel brand Love Your Melon announced this week it is "pressing pause" and "taking a step back to reflect and redefine our mission and products."

Founded in 2012 by University of St. Thomas students Zach Quinn and Brian Keller, the company launched with a simple goal: to give a hat to every child battling cancer in America. Their buy-one-give-one model quickly gained traction, with their first batch of beanies selling out in just one weekend.

In 2022, Love Your Melon was acquired by Win Brands Group as part of a $40 million funding round. At the time, the company had donated over $9.4 million and 235,000 beanies to children with cancer.

“We’re deeply grateful for all the love and support you’ve shown us throughout this journey,” the company said in a statement. “As we wrap up this chapter, a final donation of $220,247 will be made to our nonprofit partners, bringing our total contributions to $10,057,087, in addition to thousands of beanies donated.”

Love Your Melon’s early momentum was fueled by hospital visits and donation events, like one on Dec. 18, 2012, that Quinn later described as transformative.

"Seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces that day was incredible, so we kept making the hats," he told Children’s Minnesota, which once carried a special edition of the beanie.

The company said all outstanding orders will still be fulfilled, and customers will receive confirmation and tracking emails once items are shipped.

Customers with questions should email info@loveyourmelon.com.