Barnie's Coffee & Tea Company to Become Barnie's CoffeeKitchen™

ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- After 30 years as the leader in the Florida coffee market, the privately-held, Barnie's Coffee & Tea Company is becoming Barnie's CoffeeKitchen.™ The brand renaissance will include a new logo, website, updated packaging, a complete renovation of the company's six Central Florida corporate stores and the introduction of a new location in Downtown Orlando at CityArts Factory.  

With more than 25 years of food, beverage and retail leadership, president and CEO Jonathan Smiga has a strategic vision which will introduce a new coffee culture to the Florida market.  Inspired by the "third wave" coffee movement on the west coast, Barnie's CoffeeKitchen will be the first multi-unit operator to introduce this experience in Florida.  

"Barnie's CoffeeKitchen will be a place where coffee is celebrated as a specialized food ingredient sourced from small family-owned farms throughout the world, and where we strive to engage the consumer in an enriched, personalized coffee experience," said Smiga.  

The kitchen concept centers on the fact that the kitchen is the heart of the home, where entertaining, conversations and most importantly, food preparation takes place in an intimate and comfortable setting.  The stores will feature a breakfast and lunch menu drawing from the farm-to-table philosophy of utilizing seasonal, local ingredients.  

The stores will also feature in-store roasting, the largest selection of individually brewed to order coffees in the nation and hand-crafted espresso drinks finished with elegant latte art– all in the natural comfort of sitting at a friend's kitchen table.

With respect to the company's other channels, such as grocery, office coffee and e-commerce, Smiga added, "We will clearly echo these themes with updated packaging and story-telling that expands upon our 30-year leadership in the specialty coffee industry."

The store remodels will take place in two phases:  fall of 2011 and first quarter of 2012.  This fall, the company will remodel their flagship Park Avenue store followed by Baldwin Park and will open a new location in the CityArts Factory building located in the Central Business District of Downtown Orlando.  

The stores will double in seating capacity to include an average of 70 seats in an effort to stimulate a sense of community and provide a comfortable gathering place to meet or relax with associates, friends and family.  A large community table will serve as a place for regular coffee tastings and discussions.  

The organic color palette will consist of espresso browns, tan and sage green which are reflective of coffee in all of its stages.  This will be complemented by natural materials such as distressed wood, marble, stained concrete floors and decorative iron work.  

"We are committed to setting a new culinary standard around coffee and food," said Smiga. "We feel we have a unique model that our customers will find compelling."  

About Barnie's CoffeeKitchen:

Barnie's® Coffee & Tea Company was founded in 1980 and adopted the name Barnie's CoffeeKitchen™ in 2011.  Under the leadership of President/CEO Jonathan Smiga, the Orlando, Florida based company is committed to innovating the southeast coffee market and inspiring others to elevate their expectations surrounding coffee, while acting as an educator by introducing people to new coffee experiences.   The company offers more than 60 hand-selected varietal, flavored and decaffeinated coffees, including coffee beans harvested from rare crops, Certified Fair Trade, Organic and Rainforest Alliance Coffees. Barnie's CoffeeKitchen has five Central Florida locations, an e-commerce and wholesale division which services distribution, grocery and office coffee partners.  For more information, visit www.barniescoffee.com.

SOURCE Barnie's CoffeeKitchen