Coffee startup sees the cup half-full

Orlando resident Bill Sherman thinks he has found a cup of coffee that can compete with Starbucks and the other big brew chains that are increasingly dotting the region.

Sherman will soon find out if he’s right. He will open Cuppy’s Coffee’s first Orlando location today, on 8255 Lee Vista Blvd.

Convinced that Cuppy’s brew is “smoother and not as bitter as the competition,” Sherman decided to sign on as a franchisee for the Fort Walton Beach company that has big expansion plans for the area.

Cuppy’s Coffee said it would like to open 30 more stores in the Orlando area by 2010.

Its stores will sell regular coffee, espresso drinks, fruit smoothies and Italian sodas. Muffins, pastries, sandwiches and soups will also be on the menu.

Sherman said his 1,500-square-foot store will offer free Internet wireless access. He plans to open four more locations in Central Florida over the next five years.

“All my prices are a little bit cheaper than Starbucks, and the [coffee] sizes are small, medium and large instead of the words you can’t actually pronounce,” Sherman said.

The price of a 12-ounce cup of regular will sell for $1 at Sherman’s store. A 12-ounce mocha will be priced at $3.10, Sherman said.

Cuppy’s Coffee said it offers franchisees several different store prototypes including a full-service cafe, a double-drive-through unit or acart unit.

Source:
www.orlandosentinel.com