Mother, daughter team bring a personal touch to popular local
coffee house
It’s a clear-cut case of David versus Goliath. But like David, the owners of little First Street Coffee in Gilroy are taking careful aim at the Starbucks giant, and they’re determined they can win.
Konni and John Thomas bought the independent coffee shop about nine months ago, putting in an offer less than a week after the business went up for sale. Once the papers were signed, they promptly brought their daughter, Kassi Swalboski, 20, and son Kyle Thomas, 16, into the fold. Though John is something of a silent partner, maintaining a profession outside the shop, Konni and Kassi are part of day-to-day operations, and Kyle frequently works shifts after school.
“I always told my husband that when I retired, we were going to buy a little coffee shop,” Konni said. “It just came a little earlier than retirement, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Since taking over the business, the family has striven to go beyond simply serving people their morning cuppa Joe. Their goal is to create a sense of community.
To that end, Konni stops to chat with customers as she wipes off table tops. She discusses sudoku puzzles with a woman working on a book full of the brain teasers, comparing notes on strategy. Kassi calls customers by name, asking if they’ll be having their “usual” today. One woman is picking up several cups of coffee to take back to the office, so Kassi helps her carry the multiple drinks to the car.
“I think if we can get people in here, we’ll keep them coming back because it’s a totally different experience than Starbucks,” said Kassi, who learned the trade managing an It’s a Grind franchise for two years. “We like getting to know our customers. We don’t rush you in and out. We stop to smile and talk with people. We listen to our customers and we do our very best to please them.”
In many ways, the shop itself is a customer creation. A customer was hired to remodel the outdated bathrooms, another customer was hired to repaint the walls and several customers even gave their input about what color the walls should be. Paintings by local artist Arthur Sweeney decorate one corner of the shop, though Konni said she hopes to rotate the display with other local talent, including student artists from Gavilan College.
A corkboard hanging opposite the cash register displays pictures clipped from the newspaper featuring Gilroy firefighters, many of whom are loyal First Street Coffee customers.
“One day we were in here working when we heard all these sirens and honking outside,” Konni said, smiling. “When we looked out, there were a bunch of firefighters leaning out the window of their truck waving to us. It made us feel so good.”
Since First Street Coffee was a favorite spot for the Thomas family long before they bought it, most menu items and other unique quirks leftover from the previous owners remain. For example, one of the most popular features of the shop is the express line. Customers who just want a simple cup of coffee rather than something from the coffee bar can come in, put money in a cash drawer, make their own change, then help themselves from an assortment of plain or flavored coffees and the cream and sugar. They’re in and out without having to wait behind the customer who wants a complicated drink from the espresso machine.
“The first time I came in here and saw the cash drawer on the counter, I said, ‘Hey, you left your register out,'” said Evan Harding, a customer who uses the express line almost every morning. “Then they explained how it worked, and I loved the idea. I don’t know if it would work in San Jose, but it works here in Gilroy.”
Small things like the express line help make First Street Coffee a place people want to patronize, Konni said, and they try to keep finding things that will bring in an even wider base of customers. The coffee shop now hosts local bands and musicians on many Friday nights or weekends. Recently, Chasing Truth, a popular Morgan Hill Christian youth hard rock band, played a crowded show in the parking lot in front of the shop. Along with pastries, customers can purchase pre-made sandwiches, as well as access free wireless Internet at the store.
“I’ve been taking classes online for a graduate degree, and this is where I come to do all my school work,” said long-time customer Greg Burnett. “I come in here, I talk to the other customers, I talk to Kassi and Konni, I get a cup of coffee and some food, and I work. We all know each other and in a way it’s like a second family.”
Burnett recently celebrated his birthday. To mark his special day, Konni and Kassi made sure to have a small cake and gift ready when he came in.
“It was unbelievable – where else can you go and have that happen?” he said. “I knew the day I came in here that I liked the feel of the place, and I wouldn’t ever go anywhere else.”
One group of women has been meeting at First Street Coffee for five or six years every morning for their daily dose of coffee and friendship.
“We were worried at first when this place sold, but the new owners have really worked hard to make it even better,” said Frances Huang, one member of the group. “The atmosphere here is wonderful and it’s very important to all of us to support locally owned businesses.”
And so the battle between the little guy and the industry giant goes. The Thomas family is working hard, having fun and making sure their business is a welcoming spot serving the community. And if First Street Coffee happens to be the rock that hits Starbucks squarely between the eyes, so be it.
A sampling of First Street Coffee’s menu items and a brief explanation of coffee drinks
– Caramel Macchiato: Espresso with caramel, vanilla and steamed milk.
– Toddy: Coffee brewed for 24 hours, served with vanilla and Half&Half.
– Mocha: Espresso, chocolate and steamed milk.
– Zebra Mocha: A white and dark chocolate mocha.
– Americano: Espresso and steamed water. Similar to regular coffee, but stronger.
– Cappuccino: Made with 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 foam.
– Con Panna: Whipped cream with espresso poured over the top.
– Espresso: Espresso beans finely ground and brewed for a very strong, but small drink. A favorite of Gilroy mayor Al Pinheiro.
– Latte: Similar to cappuccino, but with more steamed milk and only about two fingers – about an inch – of foam. Different flavored syrups can be added for variety.
– Breve Latte: A latte made with steamed Half&Half instead of milk.
– Chai Tea: Chai tea and steamed milk.
– Funky Monkey: A cold blended coffee drink with banana and chocolate mocha.
– Polar Blast: A cold blended coffee drink with white chocolate and vanilla mocha.
– Frosty Mint Mocha: A cold blended coffee drink with white chocolate and peppermint mocha.
– Italian soda: Syrup and soda water. It can be a creme soda by adding Half&Half.
– Shaved ice: Shaved ice with flavored syrup over it.
– Smoothies in banana, peach, lemonade and many other flavors.
*All hot drinks can be served iced and many can be blended, too.
Source: Konni Thomas, owner of First Street Coffee
