| Retirement took police officer Brad Carpenter on a road one may not expect from a former teacher and cop: He decided to become an entrepreneur and own a coffee shop. But being the owner of the usual coffee shop wasn’t enough either. He wanted to create a place that invites people to come and relax a while, not order their drink and run.
The dream was ambitious enough — to own three to five coffee shops. Instead, two years after getting launched with three coffee shops, Forza Coffee is not in five locations but in 18 throughout Puget Sound. In mid-October, 14 more were in the construction phase locally as well as in Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and California; the shop will be added at several ski resorts as well. In addition to its ownership of three shops, Forza has become a fast-growing franchise with a unique business model.
“We are more relationships-oriented,” Carpenter says. “We invite people to come in and stay.”
The atmosphere includes a fireplace and leather furniture. Carpenter designed the bar and the color scheme himself, and believes that coffee is more than a drink — it’s an art. Instead of using fully automated espresso makers, baristas use a semi-automated process, making coffee, as Carpenter describes it, “the old world way.” And they’re good, too: They place high in competitions, and have competed internationally.
Carpenter and his wife, Cindy, are Gig Harbor residents and 90 percent owners of the company. Previously a police officer in Oakland, Calif., Carpenter retired as a detective from the Gig Harbor Police Department in 2000. His law enforcement career spans almost two decades.
“I spent a lot of time in coffee shops, and this was a natural transition,” he says. Asked if learning to be an entrepreneur was challenging, he says, “Everything you learn throughout life prepares you for the next step… And this is a people business.”
At first, Carpenter started out under the Cutter’s Point brand, but realized that private labeling would bring better advantages. After about six years, the company became independent, and rebranded itself as Forza. They use Sumner-based Dillanos Roasters, which was voted Roaster of the Year by Roast magazine. The rebranding included a complete change in the look of the store, the company’s image, and even the staff appearance. Baristas wear uniforms, and follow the company’s philosophy of building lasting relationships with their customers.
Since launching a successful brand, Carpenter has spoken around the region and the country about branding the independent labels. In an article he wrote for Tea and Coffee Trade Journal, he said the first step of rebranding began with the staff, explaining their dream to them and why the label change was being made. “We outlined our plan and then borrowed the concept from The Bachelor reality TV show. We called each barista up, told them why they were valuable to us, and offered each of them a long stemmed rose, asking each barista to join us in our journey with Forza. They all accepted, bought in on our vision, and have driven our label with their enthusiasm further than we could have ever hoped by ourselves,” he wrote.
Forza Coffee has been headquartered in Gig Harbor since it was born two years ago. In November, Gig Harbor will also become home to a Forza Coffee store. The 1,800-square-foot coffee shop is expected to open by the end of the month in Olympic Square, next door to recently open Harbor Greens. In keeping with the idea of inviting people to stay awhile, it will not have a drive-through. In addition to espresso, it will include a café with items like sandwiches, as well as gelato ice-cream. Construction is also under way for a Port Orchard store, off Sydney and Sedgwick, with a March opening timeline. Each store employs around a dozen people.
Forza is an Italian word that means strength. “The company logo is a Roman coin with the phrase “Forza de Vita,” which means “the strength of life.” Carpenter says that in Italy, local coffee shops define their communities, and Forza strives to do the same. “Our desire is to be the strength of the community,” Carpenter says.
As for future plans and hopes, he says, “We were really just hoping to own five stores… Our hopes were already exceeded. We’re having a great ride.”
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