Coffee lovers will go to great lengths to get their hands on a steaming cup of their favorite java. Long lines aren't much of a deterrent, but location is the key to the business, according to area coffee shop owners.
"It's location, products and service, in that order. You can have the best product and have the wrong location. Employees can literally ruin the business. It really is that simple," said John Butzer, owner of JT Java House in Manheim Township.
Butzer, originally from Lancaster, came back to the area with 12 years of experience in Seattle's coffee-shop industry. He opened his shop in Lancaster County at the end of 2004.
One of Seattle's most significant trends for coffee shops was the addition of drive-throughs, Butzer said. This is something that he was determined to bring back to Lancaster County, which previously did not offer this amenity, Butzer said.
Butzer's shop does not offer indoor seating but does provide a callahead service. His business caters to those who are on-thego.
Beyond Coffee opened in the York area at the end of March. Owner Janice Echevarria wasn't exactly ready to open up this shop, which is her second, but couldn't pass up a perfect location that included a drive-through. Echevarria also owns a Sparky & Clark's on Route 30 in Manchester Township that she opened in 2004.
Business has started to pick up at this new location as the cool weather makes its way into the region, Echevarria said. Beyond Coffee offers sandwiches, wraps and salads in addition to coffee. Echevarria plans to add handdipped ice cream from a local dairy farm.
Echevarria has a couple of strategies that allow her to compete with various coffee-shop chains, as well as other small coffee shops. First and foremost is customer service.
"I try to encourage all my employees to learn customers by name," Echevarria said.
She has found that her customers prefer her shop because of quality products, which she tries to keep healthy by using low-fat ingredients, and the fact that she is also an employee of the shop. As a coffee-shop owner, being accessible to customers has made a difference for Echevarria.
JT Java House serves wraps, sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches and bagels, soups and salads in addition to any type of hot, iced or frozen lattes, protein shakes and smoothies. Butzer tries to offer a wide range of coffee flavors to compete with other shops.
Butzer also provides a delivery service and espresso catering for some of his existing customers. It's important to have a presence at community activities, Butzer said.
"You can spend all the money you want with marketing, but the more you're involved within a fivemile radius of your business, people know who you are and what you're doing," Butzer said.
Al Pera, who owns Cornerstone Coffeehouse in Camp Hill with his wife, Susan, also tries to reach out to the community through different projects.
"(We want customers to) understand there's a special place for them to come and relax and be themselves - that's what coffee places are all about," Pera said.
Cornerstone opened around 1996 and moved to its current home around 1998, all before Pera and his wife took over in 1999. Since then, Pera opened up a second Cornerstone in Swatara Township in March. Pera offers Wi-Fi Internet access and an outdoor patio at both locations.
"It's a great place to get out of your cubicle and work in a different location," Pera said.
Cornerstone offers salads, sandwiches and soups. The shop provides catering for events, and the Cornerstone Culinary Kitchen, which offers cooking classes and private parties, opened up two-and-a-half years ago.
Cornerstone competes by baking signature treats at the coffee shop and making sure that those enjoying their coffee at the shop drink out of a ceramic mug instead of a paper cup.
"When new places open up, people try them, but we find that most people come back to us because we do what we do well," Pera said.
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