For this month’s Spotlight, we chose Roger Pisacano, owner of Campus Coffee Bean and long-term entrepreneur and business owner. He tells us about his many businesses in New York City, and what is special about his current restaurant and coffee shop.
What brought you to Flagstaff and from where? What business were you in there?
I came from New York City and wanted to raise my family in a small mountain town that had skiing. I was in business with my father and we ran a wholesale produce business and a trucking business and then we got into retail. We opened a card and gift store that also sold newspapers, magazines, coffee and cigarettes. Then we opened a deli and after that a video store – the first video store in Queens that rented VHS and beta tapes.
I also owned a pharmacy on the corner of the same street as the other businesses. Then I bought a luncheonette and candy shop, the same one I went to as a kid to buy bubble gum and baseball cards. Then I opened a Hallmark card and gift store and also got into real estate and had four rental properties.
Tell us what makes your coffee shop stand out?
The first thing that comes to mind is the food. For breakfast we have everything from breakfast sandwiches to Jr. and full-sized burritos, omelets and pancakes, and we serve breakfast until 9pm. For lunch, all of our soups are made from scratch; four soups served daily. We have a Greek corner serving the best Gyros in town – so people tell us. We have salads and deli sandwiches and Angus Beef Burgers and veggie burgers made to order. We serve five drip coffees, with self serve daily with refills for 50 cents. We have real fruit smoothies, 150 teas to choose from for all you tea lovers, loose tealeaves and bagels, and fifty coffees available for sale by the pound.
What is the key to running your restaurant, particularly during difficult economic times?
The key is to serve each customer to the best of our ability by offering them friendly service, a great atmosphere, real good prices and nice sized portions.
You have consistently won Best of Flagstaff awards for several years. What would you like to say to your loyal customers? What do you like about Flagstaff?
I would say thank you for being part of our growing and changing business. And I like everything about Flagstaff!
Tell us about the special coffee beans you make your coffee from?
Our coffee beans are mostly organic and fair-trade beans. They come from all over the world and they are seasonal, just like some of our produce. Certain seasons yield better coffee beans then others. So sometimes during the year, I won’t buy as much African beans and I’ll buy more South American beans etc. It all depends on season. Lots of our coffee comes from small estates in countries like the ones mentioned above. So these farmers cannot produce larger quantities for big chains.
How long have you been in business running Campus Coffee Bean & Grill?
Fifteen years.
More information about Campus Coffee Bean is available online http://www.campuscoffebean.com/