Loosely Speaking

And now a look at the coffee business. Specifically, I’ve been wondering how our independently owned coffee houses have weathered the recession. We have a number of them where I live. They all seem busy when I stop in, and their parking lots are always full, but it’s got to be a challenge.

To be fair, I asked all of them for input, but just heard back from one:  Cuppers Coffee House in downtown Prescott.

I’ve written about Cuppers in the past, when it was operated by its original owner. In fact, my podcasting cohort and I have recorded many segments of “AZVAs the Podcast” in their convenient meeting room.

The current owner, Jamey Mauk, gave me a very thorough look at the strategy they embrace in operating their business.

Cuppers Coffee House in downtown Prescott.
Photo used with permission.

“While the economy has certainly affected everyone in many different ways, we really have to look closer to our specific situation compared to the national and international conditions depicted on the news everyday. Anyone can get depressed and somewhat panicked if they continually watch all the bad things happening all around us on the TV. I often wonder, is it really that bad today or has it always been that way but we just didn’t know about it? OR maybe now the media just focuses on the bad way too much. AND what does all that really have to do with me, my family, our schools and my town?

When you speak about the economy in general, I think it revolves around demographics. There are many businesses in Arizona that are thriving, and at the the same time there are a lot of spaces for rent in Phoenix and even Scottsdale, not to mention Prescott or Prescott Valley. At the same time, new construction, new roads and new enterprises are springing up all over the place. Spaces for lease are growing weeds while new construction is happening next door, go figure. Maybe the old saying that the cream rises to the top just might be more accurate than we thought. Tough times bring out the best in people and perhaps in businesses as well. One thing is for certain, competition is a good thing when it comes to pricing, quality control and especially customer service. The businesses that focus on these areas rather than worrying about the economy are doing just fine.

As for us in particular, our little coffee shop downtown has a very loyal following. We have strived to improve over the years, therefore our business has grown. Our focus has always been on giving our customers the best quality at the best price with the best service since 2006. By the way, our little Victorian turns 141 years old this year.

In fact, in the effort to continually improve, we realized the potential to be something even MORE. As we looked into more specialized menu items and expanding our foods and desserts into new directions, we decided it was time to add another location. Cuppers is expanding to a much larger additional space by Trader Joe’s with a wonderful patio and gorgeous views. In our current tradition, we will feature an assortment of wholesome, delicious foods – from our famous quiche to elegant crepes including specialty items for dinner – not to mention our Sunday brunch. Our new venture is called Cuppers Coffee Bistro, and it will be everything that Cuppers is known for plus a whole latté more. We love our local clientele downtown and look forward to meeting new people at the new location in The Shops at Prescott Gateway by Trader Joe’s.

People get really excited about our new venture but then they often ask us, what about the coffeehouse downtown? Well, Cuppers Coffeehouse downtown on Cortez Street has been there since 2006, and we plan to keep it downtown. Those who know us well refer to the new bistro as simply Cuppers 2, and that is what it is just on a larger scale. Cuppers Coffee Bistro will be opening this summer.

Now back to the economy. Cuppers is growing because we have faith in our products and in our employees and in our economy. It is our opinion that, while the economy may be struggling in some areas of the country, it is on the upswing in our area. It really all comes down to the people – individuals taking the next step on their own rather than waiting for the news to tell them when it’s time or when it’s safe. In actuality will it ever be safe? History shows us otherwise, so in places where the economy is thriving is where the people are thriving. They have turned off the negative and put on the positive. We control our economy, not the media. I’m pretty certain that not many people in the Prescott area like to be controlled at all! That is why we are choosing this time to expand our successful business to another, bigger location. What could be better than two Cuppers! That’s my two cents.”

A well-managed business which offers great products and service will always find a following, as Jamey’s account attests.

Remember your locally owned coffee and tea options when planning to meet up with friends and colleagues. Oh, and be sure to check out the Cuppers Facebook page.