SPOTLIGHT: CAFE BRIOSO continued from page 69
a warehouse facility—perhaps the first such space in Columbus—that can house the surging roasting volume while serving as a lab setting for customers thirsting for more coffee knowledge.
Café Brioso sees itself as well-positioned to deliver to a growing subset of modern consumers—those who want excellent culinary experiences with a side of civic pride.
It's all part of a strategy that's less about getting bigger and more about growing in
quality, Davis adds. He hopes to finalize plans for the new space this year, but he isn't interested in pursuing a branch location strategy of simply pursuing new retail stores and taking on debt. "I've resisted the assumption that we have to grow to get better and more successful," he says. The notion seems to fit nicely with Columbus' recent emergence as a regional destina-
tion for craft beer and great local foods. (One boutique ice cream producer in the city, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, is considered among the nation's finest.) Café Brioso sees itself as well-positioned to deliver to a growing subset of modern consumers—those who want excellent culinary experiences with a side of civic pride. "What I think is important right now is buying with a sense of ownership," Justice says. "That's not the connection most people have had in the past in this city. We want to represent that level of ownership."
70 COFFEE ALMANAC 2012