Coffee-lovers in the Historic Triangle can look forward to a new way to experience their java.
“It’s like a brewery for coffee,” said Lance Zaal, owner of King of Clubs Brewing. “When we open our new place, one of the things that we want to do is really have an interactive experience around coffee where people can learn about everything that goes into their cup.”
King of Clubs Coffee started production in May when Zaal decided he wanted to share a deeper and richer coffee drinking experience with others. The company currently only sells online but has three production locations around Williamsburg and provides coffee to a few restaurants.
But Zaal wants to make coffee more of an interactive experience for visitors by opening a retail location that shows how the product is made from start to finish and teaches customers about how to make coffee.
“A lot of people are used to Starbucks coffee which isn’t really coffee so nice to bring back old fashioned quality coffee,” he said. “It’s getting away from that fast food coffee and really bringing out a product with unique identity.”
Currently, Zaal is looking to rent a location in York County after he requested a $20,000 grant from the county’s Economic Development Authority. The EDA is still currently reviewing the proposal, according to Jim Noel, director of the York County EDA.
But if Zaal receives the money it will help him invest in better production equipment and create a solid foundation for growing a business that is already having trouble meeting popular demands.
“Once people taste quality coffee, they’ll want more,” Zaal said. “But we need the infrastructure to support a growing customer base.”
Zaal’s most popular product is his personal favorite: the nitro brew. A nitro brew coffee is slow-steeped and infused with nitrogen gas for a smoother taste. In addition, King of Clubs sources beans from Columbia, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras and Brazil, which each have a different flavor and personality after roasting them, Zaal said.
Meticulous with his work, Zaal has brought what was once just a hobby to a full-scale business that aims not just to serve the customers but to serve them something new. But while this excites Zaal, he said having a new product makes it difficult to break into the market.
“It’s tough competing against big coffee,” he said. “People know what they’re used to and are hesitant to change. But I know once we can offer this new experience, it’ll become an attraction to the area.”
Making a name among not only locals, but tourists as well, is one of the reasons Zaal wanted to expand into a retail location.
Even without a permanent location at the moment, Zaal has already made plans to introduce his coffee experience to others with an open house on Jan. 10 at 1006 Richmond Road in Williamsburg from 5-7 p.m.
But until Zaal can find a location to open, he continues to raise his business from the ground up and plans for a new future in coffee.
“We’ve come so far already, but we have a long way to go,” he said. “At this point we just want to find a home so we can bring a bit of fun to coffee.”
