With any new beginning there are bumps in the road, but the owners of DaCapo, a local coffee shop in Temperance, Mich., make running a new business look easy. After all, the store's name is Italian for “from the beginning”.
“It’s been a real good business start and we’re very happy,” says manager and co-owner Randy Bialecki. “Every day’s gotten a little busier, a little better.”
DaCapo is the product of a group effort—“a husband and wife team times two,” according to Bialecki. He and his wife Liz are co-owners along with Dee and Mark Ellsworth. The couples have been friends for a long time, and together they conceptualized what is now their very own coffee house.
“It’s kind of a niche over here; I’m not trying to compete with anybody,” Randy says. “We’re just trying to do our thing and do it right.”
One of the ways DaCapo is setting itself apart is by focusing on keeping everything local. The coffee they serve comes from the Flying Rhino in Toledo, and Mark Ellsworth, who is also a pastry chef, keeps the case stocked with fresh pastries. Even the art on the walls is local, and after only being open for a few weeks, Randy already has plans to rotate the art so that he can feature other local artists as well. While there are no plans yet, he would also like to bring in other local talent, like musicians or stand-up comedians.
However, they’re in no rush to expand what they’re doing. “We don’t want to grow too fast, we don’t want to spread too thin,” Randy explains. He’s making sure that the quality of the product is top-notch before putting the focus elsewhere. “I wanted a place where you could go for a good cup of coffee and a good dessert—a piece of pie, a piece of cheesecake, a place to gab,” he says.
Randy notes that making the switch to craft coffee was a bit of a change for new customers, but overall people seem to be pleased. He encourages people to sample the new brews (the supplier, Flying Rhino, is always switching it up), and will even walk coffee novices through espresso- or latte-tastings. The true focus is on the product and the customer.
“I want to learn about you … I want to know your name, I want to know your drink,” he explains. “I don’t just want you to be someone who came in here and gave me money.
“I’m offering the best product I can,” Randy says. “We’ve got the best donuts, we’ve definitely got the best scones, the pastries are to die for and I think we have the best coffee.”
7370 Lewis Ave., Temperence, Mich. 734-244-7064. www.facebook.com/DaCapocoffee Hours: Mon-Fri. 4:30am-6pm; Sat. 7:30am-4:30pm; Sun. 8am-4pm.
