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Ones to Watch | By Sabrina Davis

Ellianos Coffee Company

That slogan has helped drive planning for the company’s most recent change—offering breakfast and lunch sandwiches. Breakfast offerings launched in September.

Customer and industry surveys show a demand for more substantial offerings beyond simple baked goods, Rynning says. “We didn’t want to create an operational or training burden, so we spent a lot of time looking for the right vendor to provide premium sandwiches and wraps ready to eat.” More changes lie ahead. While Ellianos will continue to grow its staple double-drive-thru stores, the company is planning to introduce new venue options including inline, endcap, and foodcourt venues. A counter and seating—and gelato—will soon debut, too.

Ellianos Coffee Company
CEO: Scott Stewart
HQ: Lake City, Florida
Year Started: 2002
Annual Sales: $2 million
Total Units: 8
Franchise Units: 0
Why it bears watching: It was the efficiency of the drive-thru specialty coffee concept that first interested Scott and Pam Stewart. But in creating Ellianos, they were careful to see beyond the building and delivery—their coffee is so good it has been voted among the best tasting even in Seattle. The Ellianos Blend won the title of “Seattle’s Favorite Coffee” in 2005, 2006, and 2007 in a Seattle Times poll.
Ellianos’s regular cup of coffee is the chain’s second most popular drink and revenue generator, just behind the Dark Mocha Freezer. Bulk coffee sales began this year, helping boost average ticket sales to $5.15, a 25 percent increase over the past year.
The company expects to further increase sales to the roughly 800 customers who visit each store daily with the addition of new breakfast and lunch items. “I was surprised to find our afternoon business is as strong as the morning,” Rynning says. “The drive-thru helps drive that along with the frozen coffee drinks and smoothies. The new food items should strengthen our midday sales.” With quality as a top priority and the addition of experienced national franchise professionals, the Ellianos team is carefully planning for healthy single- and multi unit growth.
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