The buzz around the borough of Queens is that White Coffee Corporation not only delivers great tasting coffee, but also offers clients the support they need to help their business grow.
When Al Testa, owner of the Bagel Factory in Whitestone, Queens opened his store nine years ago, he was besieged by dozens of coffee companies. He was the new guy and many companies were eager for his business. Testa was careful not to be swayed by fancy deals and special promotions and went with his gut, choosing White Coffee Corporation since he heard they were a company with a solid reputation.
His instinct turned out right. Almost a decade later, Testa and his relationship with White Coffee is still going strong. Aside from the bagels, croissants, muffins and assorted spreads he sells daily, 30%-40% of his business is coffee. He offers 45 different flavors from coconut to peanut butter swirl, toasted praline and caramel apple.
“I have people who come in and tell me they never heard of tiramisu, chocolate hazelnut and brownie coffee,” says Testa enthusiastically. “It's the best!”
It is clear that Testa and his customers are enjoying the buzz. One of his customers, in fact, who lives in Washington State, is so enamored of the product that she orders 20 lbs. of their tiramisu blend in order to maintain her caffeine-fix throughout the year.
To keep his revenues as hot as the coffee he serves Testa is always offering new products for his customers to try. When hot coffee sales slow down in the summer Testa picks up business with flavored iced coffee. Six months ago, he started offering flavored cappuccino. And three weeks ago, he introduced White Coffee's newest blend: Pacific Roast, a strong, dark roast, similar to the Starbucks brand that has been a hit with the customers.
“Working with White Coffee was one of the smartest decisions I ever made,” notes Testa. “They really try to help you develop your business. They constantly innovate and try and bring out new products. They always give us free coffee to try.”
In 2005, 172 million American adults consumed coffee, according to The National Drinking Trend survey, an annual study that tracks coffee consumption in the United States distributed by The National Coffee Association of USA (NCA). Coffee is a booming business and no one knows that better than the folks at White Coffee Corporation.
White Coffee Corporation is a third generation, family owned coffee importing and roasting business that has been innovating the coffee industry since 1939. The Long Island City-based company was a pioneer in specialty coffee bean importing and roasting. The company helped create the category of specialty coffee back in the 1970s and has continued to be a leader in the specialty gourmet coffee marketplace.
Throughout its history, White Coffee has continued to offer numerous other innovations in the coffee industry. For one, the company was one of the first to offer “educational seminars,” at their offices to introduce Swiss Water Decaffeinated to North America. They were also one of the first companies to use vacuum packaging which has since gone on to become the industry packaging standard.
Today White Coffee offers more than 300 varieties of the finest coffees available and is sold throughout the world with White Coffee products found in leading restaurants, hotels, healthcare facilities, upscale coffee bars, grocery stores and corporate venues. Their long-standing reputation is based on the superior quality of their coffee and their private label capabilities.
Unlike coffee giants, Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks, part of the charm of White Coffee is the personal attention and service they give to their customers. The company offers a complete range of programs to meet the individual needs of its customers that coincides nicely with their tagline, “The kind of quality and service you deserve.” Some of their high-end clients include the QE2 luxury cruise liner; the Ritz Carlton Hotel; Tavern On The Green; Smith & Wollensky Steak House and major catalogs such as Hickory Farms and Swiss Colony.
In the borough of Queens, the White Coffee Corporation has a mounting presence. More than 200 delis and a large number of hotels and restaurants work with White Coffee. In today's world where corporate takeovers, mergers and acquisitions are the norm, White Coffee Corporation is recognized as an industry leader providing stability and consistency that their customers crave. They not only provide great coffee from the finest beans, but also help the independent retailer promote their own brand and the other services they provide through their retail program. This is the key that helps their customer's business thrive.
“Our greatest strength is that we can grow your business. We help our clients sell and give them the tools and ideas they need to make money. We can customize what a client needs by helping them with equipment, sales training, special blends, branding and marketing,” said Gregory White, vice president of operations of White Coffee Corporation, whose grandfather David White founded the coffee company in the late 1930's with some business partners under the name White-Kobrick Coffee Co. The company that specialized in office coffee supply eventually became the White Coffee Corp. when David White branched out on his own.
In the 1950's when coffee consumption climbed, David's son, Irwin White, (Gregory and Jonathan's father) joined the company. “We will go out into the field with the customer or the distributor to help our clients make more money. We will lend our sales people to our clients to help them sell. That is the difference between us and other coffee companies.
The Water's Edge, one of the borough's finest restaurants, has been working with White Coffee for the last 15 years.
“Their coffee is excellent and their service is excellent,” said Water's Edge manager, George Pastemark. “They are reliable and are always there to accommodate your needs.”
At The International House of Pancakes in Rosedale, their coffee is as popular as a short stack doused with melted butter and syrup. During a typical week the pancake house goes through at least four cases of coffee. In fact, on occasion when a coffee crisis hits, White Coffee has always been there to the rescue.
“They have come on the weekends and holidays to fix our coffee machine,” said Rose, a manager at I.H.O.P. for the last four years. “There were also times when I underestimated the order and realized I wouldn't make it until the next delivery. When I called, they would deliver that same day. They are so helpful. I love working with them.”
Portofinos, a Northern Italian restaurant that has been a neighborhood staple in Forest Hills for the last 33 years, has had a love connection with White Coffee for more than two decades. Twice a week White Coffee delivers their Colombian blend and herbal teas.
“They are a great company. They have treated us right all these years and that is why we keep coming back,” said Niko Mejia, manager of Portofinos. “The service of the team, the quality of the product and delicious tasting coffee are the reasons we don't need to look anywhere else.”
Gregory White and his brother Jonathan White, White Coffee's executive vice president, oversee the company along with Carole White, their mother and the company's president. The trio work each day to continue the coffee legacy and further strengthen its reputation for offering their customers the finest quality products and services.
Every summer Testa is treated to two tickets to a baseball game complete with luxury box seats, a catered meal and free parking. And when the holidays roll around he and his staff get a personal visit from Jonathan and Gregory White.
“They shake my hand. They wish me a Happy New Year. It's smart,” says Testa, who compares the way White Coffee conducts business to how business used to be done 30 years ago. “White Coffee works on building good relationships and keeping their customers happy. They really exceeded my expectations.”
