Port City Java: Attention to Detail
Restaurants
Written by Eric Slack   
Monday, 01 June 2009
Port City Java: Attention to Detail
Roasting its own coffee, expanding the menu, and turning customers into guests are the way this chain of cafés has made a name for itself.
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Coffee shops are a dime a dozen, right? You can be forgiven if you think so because these days it seems there
is a coffee bar, donut shop, or fast food joint on every corner offering the best cup of joe around. Customers
of Port City Java, however, have learned that there is indeed a difference in quality and service because of one simple rule that each Port City Java location follows.

“Our mission is to exceed their expectations every visit,” said CEO Steve Schnitzler.

Different and better
Founded in 1995, in Wilmington, NC, Port City Java began roasting its own coffee in 1996 when its founders decided the best way to assure absolute optimum quality control was to roast coffee internally. Currently, the company has two roasting facilities; one that handles the bulk and another that is a USDA-certified, fair trade-certified organic roaster.

Port City Java: Attention to Detail
Steve Schnitzle, CEO
The company started out with a single coffeehouse in downtown Wilmington before adding a second location in the city. It then expanded into the Charleston, SC and began adding more stores in both cities before selling the Charleston operations in the early part of the decade and concentrating on Wilmington. In 2003, the company decided to pursue the franchising route while also adding corporate locations. Today the company has 21 franchise operations, 13 corporate stores, and two international locations.

Port City Java’s foundation was built on the belief that it shouldn’t be just a coffeehouse. Rather, the company needed to take an all-day approach and be more than a coffee option in the morning or for an afternoon pick-me-up. Early in its history, the company developed quick service lunch items like salads, paninis, and sandwiches to compliment its coffee offerings. Port City Java also produces its own baked goods.

“In Wilmington, we have a central commissary to bake goods and deliver them every night,” said Schnitzler. “The franchise stores that are far flung are set up to bake and people go in early in the morning.”

The company has built a niche for itself in a competitive industry by not attempting to clone someone else’s business model. Through a focus on superior products and an assortment of options, such as non-standard products like fresh fruit smoothies in addition to the iced and hot versions of standard coffeehouse drinks, Port City Java can offer its guests a traditional coffeehouse environment but with more variety and higher quality.

This is part of the reasoning behind the organic, fair trade
coffees the company sells. Port City Java has actually applied for trademark protection for the term Fairganic, which it uses to describe its organic, free trade coffees.

“We went that route for several reasons. We are big on sustainability and using natural coffee, and we want to support organic farming and help farmers make a decent living,” Schnitzler said. “There aren’t many American alternatives where you can source coffee, so we are dependant on getting it from around the world. We can’t control economically and politically what goes on in those countries, but this is a way we can help out.”

Look to improve
Generally, Port City Java corporate stores serve as the testing ground for new programs, but the company partners with franchisees on new initiatives as well. North Carolina State, which has four Port City Java cafés on its campus operated by the college’s food service, responded to student needs and expanded café specials and sandwiches. After developing 10 new sandwiches, the operators of the NC State locations brought in corporate representatives for taste tests. After a round of feedback and further testing, about a half-dozen of the new recipes are being rolled out as a potential menu option at all Port City
Java cafés.

Another investment that allowed Port City Java to offer quality food fast was the installation of TurboChef ovens. It has been especially beneficial for the company’s breakfast sandwiches and wraps.

“Everyone who gets in line, inside or in the drive-thru, has somewhere to be. It might be at the corner table in front of the fireplace, but it might be work, taking the kids to school, or the doctor’s office,” Schnitzler said. “Wherever they are going, we have to be able to get them on their way without sacrificing quality.”

Port City Java also puts a great deal of effort into workforce development. The company only hires approximately 3% of its applicants and works hard to get employees to understand that the company is in the business of creating relationships with customers and turning them into guests.

“We point out to our employees that every thing we ask them to do is voluntary, from being on time and in uniform, to being friendly to the guests, to following the recipes,” said Schnitzler. “They have to buy into our philosophy, and our managers know they have to find people who choose to work at a high level of hospitality. You can get great service from an ATM, but it will never provide you with hospitality, and that term covers all aspects of what we do.”

Although the economic slowdown has affected the speed at which the company plans to expand both corporate and franchise stores, Port City Java will still look to expand throughout the Carolinas in the next few years. The company recently announced plans to lunch a promotion to entice potential franchisees by offering no royalties through 2010. During the promotion, anyone who signs an agreement for a new café will get their royalties abated through 2010. But Schnitzler knows there isn’t much the company can do to control the state of the economy, so it has to focus on doing what it does best.

“We can acknowledge the economic situation, but since we can’t fix it we have to control what we can, and that is the experience our guests have when they come in,” he said. “When people come in they must feel at home so when they leave they refer to it as their cafe, not just another café.” 
 
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