Specialty Coffee Retailer is a publication for owners, managers and employees of retail outlets that sell specialty coffee. Its scope includes best sales practices, supplies, business trends and anything else to assist the small coffee retailer.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/103518
REGIONAL UPDATE WEST Lestat's Coffee Shop San Diego, Calif. Lestat's Coffee Shop in San Diego is 16 years old, but part owner John Husler says the shop is still growing. "We've seen big increases in the last two months," he notes. "We've been doing nothing but increase." Husler attributes the recent growth to a number of factors. First, because rents are still relatively low in his community, he was able to expand his business by taking over a vacant space next door to his original shop and by opening a second shop about two and a half years ago. "We're taking advantage of the fact that rents are inexpensive," Husler says. "This is the time you can expand if it works for you. Now it's beginning to pay off for us." The second reason Lestat's business is growing, Husler feels, is related to the first: The new shop, which is about two miles from the original shop, has a larger kitchen, so now they can create more gourmet, organic foods to serve in both shops. "The existing place was primarily a bakery, and now we trade back and forth," Husler says. A third reason for Lestat's growth is the fact that the shops are open 24 hours a day. "Because San Diego does not have much going on after the bars close, we're about the only game in town," Husler says. "It's not hard to compete against Denny's." The interiors of the two shops are different, but both are based on the same theme: the Anne Rice novel "Interview with the Vampire," which features the vampire Lestat. The original shop features a New Orleans theme (part of the Anne Rice vampire series is set in that city), with bright green and red walls, Victorian furniture, and lots of classic southern chandeliers. The second shop has a more gothic look, with wrought iron chandeliers and gothic furniture. Husler is confident enough about the continued success of Letstat's that he's scouting for a third location. "It's got to be the right spot, and it takes a long time to find that," he says. But he predicts he will find that spot in 2013. That growth will require more staff, of course. "Right now we're at 34 employees. I think in 2013, as we get busier, we're going to need labor; that's just the name of the game. I bet by the end of 2012 it will be over 50 employees." As they grow, Husler says they'll continue a key philosophy that has fostered their success: "We listen to the customer and follow the direction they want us to go." M I DWEST Jaszy's Java Wilmington, Ill. Wilmington is a small city that sits along historic Route 66, a highway that once traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles. Though the road officially ceased its existence as a federal highway in 1985, the memories of traveling across the country in the early and mid-20th century linger for many, and Wilmington retains much of that charm of that era. Though the town thrives on the history of its famous highway, Darla Neises, owner of Jaszy's Java, is looking to the future. Her little coffee shop on Main Street features brightly painted walls with colorful artwork, a large front window that lets in plenty of natural light, and comfortable kitchen-like tables and chairs. She features Intelligentsia coffee and teas from The Birds and the Teas, a business in nearby Morris, Ill. "Business will improve," in 2013, Neises predicts. "We offer a great product and wonderful customer service." The community is supporting local businesses by enacting a "shop local day" and possibly offering a new bus service. The new bus service, being proposed by an alderman and city official, would provide local bus routes between residences in Wilmington and the business district, making it easier for locals to shop in the town. Nieses is confident enough about the future of Wilmington and her coffee shop that she expects to hire new employees in 2013. 27