It may be hard to believe, but Coco's and Carrows are no longer your mother's typical coffee shop chain.
With 180 locations in California, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado, the West's most venerable coffee shop chain gained its independence from former parent Advantica, aka Denny's, in 2002. The chain now buys local and seasonal food for its stores and is run by nutritional foodies trained by the Culinary Institute of America.
The brands are owned by Carlsbad-based Catalina Restaurant Group Inc., which recently partnered with the indigenous Mayans of Chiapas, Mexico to turn wild coffee that grows under the jungle canopy into a sustainable industry. The new organic coffee will be sold in Coco's locations.
Coffee shops that care about non-fat injected meats and farm fresh ingredients? These are very atypical choices for a restaurant chain to make, which is why the Carlsbad Business Journal sat down with Heather Gardea, the company's vice president of food and beverage/marketing to talk about the innovative eateries.
CBJ: What is your professional background?
Gardea: I am a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, where I pursued fine dining, which led me to product development and to Coco's and Carrows.
CBJ: How many employees do you oversee?
Gardea: We have a small but seasoned four-person staff for the food and beverage/research and development department. We also have four staff employees in the marketing department.
CBJ: What is your greatest accomplishment as a chef?
Gardea: It happens daily when you create something, serve it to someone and the feedback is positive.
CBJ: What is the company's philosophy and mission?
Gardea: To serve all of our guests food that is cooked right, seasoned right and presented right, and also exceeds their expectations for value. We believe we owe it to our fellow man to take into consideration the nutritional value of food.
CBJ: What is unique about the company?
Gardea: The new and seasoned employees within the chain, the open communication between departments and the goal we have as a restaurant chain to expand. One aspect that sets Coco's and Carrows apart is our use of locally grown, seasonal food products. Our menus are constantly updated with seasonal foods, and supporting local farmers is important to us, which some might find surprising. We also bake all of our bread and pies at Coco's on a daily basis. At a time when automation is king for chains, that may be surprising as well.
CBJ: What sets Carrows and Coco's apart from other coffee shop chains?
Gardea: Coco's has a full bakery where items made in-house are offered during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also, we created a Fit & Lively section on our menu with entrees that are less than 600 calories. In addition, we are currently doing a free food coupon program in schools. Our local store managers are working with administrators in local schools to award the highest achieving students with free food at Coco's and Carrows. We feel that family is important and our children's education is our future, so we put our money where our mouth is.
CBJ: What is the most challenging aspect of this company?
Gardea: To continue to stay relevant in an ever-changing marketplace when your brand has a longstanding history.
CBJ: What do you see for the future of this company?
Gardea: I think the brands will grow and continue to answer the consumer request for high-quality food at reasonable prices. There will always be something new offered. We are in the midst of a major renovation of all of our stores, from the inside out, starting in San Diego and moving north and then east. In some of our newer Coco's, we have added a coffee bar area with baked goods.
Catalina Restaurant Group:
2200 Faraday Ave., Ste. 250, Carlsbad
(760) 804-5750
www.catalinarestaurantgroup.com
With 180 locations in California, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado, the West's most venerable coffee shop chain gained its independence from former parent Advantica, aka Denny's, in 2002. The chain now buys local and seasonal food for its stores and is run by nutritional foodies trained by the Culinary Institute of America.
The brands are owned by Carlsbad-based Catalina Restaurant Group Inc., which recently partnered with the indigenous Mayans of Chiapas, Mexico to turn wild coffee that grows under the jungle canopy into a sustainable industry. The new organic coffee will be sold in Coco's locations.
Coffee shops that care about non-fat injected meats and farm fresh ingredients? These are very atypical choices for a restaurant chain to make, which is why the Carlsbad Business Journal sat down with Heather Gardea, the company's vice president of food and beverage/marketing to talk about the innovative eateries.
CBJ: What is your professional background?
Gardea: I am a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, where I pursued fine dining, which led me to product development and to Coco's and Carrows.
CBJ: How many employees do you oversee?
Gardea: We have a small but seasoned four-person staff for the food and beverage/research and development department. We also have four staff employees in the marketing department.
CBJ: What is your greatest accomplishment as a chef?
Gardea: It happens daily when you create something, serve it to someone and the feedback is positive.
CBJ: What is the company's philosophy and mission?
Gardea: To serve all of our guests food that is cooked right, seasoned right and presented right, and also exceeds their expectations for value. We believe we owe it to our fellow man to take into consideration the nutritional value of food.
CBJ: What is unique about the company?
Gardea: The new and seasoned employees within the chain, the open communication between departments and the goal we have as a restaurant chain to expand. One aspect that sets Coco's and Carrows apart is our use of locally grown, seasonal food products. Our menus are constantly updated with seasonal foods, and supporting local farmers is important to us, which some might find surprising. We also bake all of our bread and pies at Coco's on a daily basis. At a time when automation is king for chains, that may be surprising as well.
CBJ: What sets Carrows and Coco's apart from other coffee shop chains?
Gardea: Coco's has a full bakery where items made in-house are offered during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also, we created a Fit & Lively section on our menu with entrees that are less than 600 calories. In addition, we are currently doing a free food coupon program in schools. Our local store managers are working with administrators in local schools to award the highest achieving students with free food at Coco's and Carrows. We feel that family is important and our children's education is our future, so we put our money where our mouth is.
CBJ: What is the most challenging aspect of this company?
Gardea: To continue to stay relevant in an ever-changing marketplace when your brand has a longstanding history.
CBJ: What do you see for the future of this company?
Gardea: I think the brands will grow and continue to answer the consumer request for high-quality food at reasonable prices. There will always be something new offered. We are in the midst of a major renovation of all of our stores, from the inside out, starting in San Diego and moving north and then east. In some of our newer Coco's, we have added a coffee bar area with baked goods.
Catalina Restaurant Group:
2200 Faraday Ave., Ste. 250, Carlsbad
(760) 804-5750
www.catalinarestaurantgroup.com