Coffee Bean Cafe

May 23, 2007

When a golden opportunity for a new coffeehouse surfaced on the west side of Traverse City, Jill and Tom Gibler were quick to act.
“We live just down the road, and when I saw workers breaking ground for a new plaza, I told my husband that this would be a great place for a coffee shop,” Jill remembers. “There’s a lot of suburban development going on here with plenty of traffic. And he got very quiet for awhile, and then the next day he was contacting the developers. It all fell into place for us.”
Now, the Coffee Bean Cafè is a reality, located next to the new Francisco’s
Market and Deli on Silver Lake road, just west of town.
The coffeehouse opened in March and has been a labor of love for Jill and Tom.
He did the interior construction on the shop, which includes a wall-mounted waterfall and
a fireplace. In addition to
the usual coffee beverages, the Coffee Bean also offers a broad selection of pastries as well as a gelato counter of specialty ice creams.
The couple also bring a high level of experience, working with the public. Jill’s mother, Penny Trudell, opened the Dairy Queen at the mall in 1991, and the couple purchased it nine years ago. “We’ve been involved in the food business for 23 years now,” Jill says. “Either working with Dairy Queen, which has very high quality standards, or with Orange Julius and hotel management.”

BACKGROUND
Tom is a native of Traverse City, while Jill has roots in California. Her family had a resort in Oscoda as well as a home in San Diego. “We used to spend summers here and winters in California,” she says.
She and Tom married nine years ago and have two daughters, Briana and Chelsea.
With their background in the food business, the Giblers bring some pleasant surprises to their new enterprise.
For instance, they bake their own scones and cookies to ensure a bakery-fresh flavor. They also finish baking their bagels and offer a high-quality biscotti as well as cinnamon buns and pecan rolls from Bay Breads.
“A local roaster also custom-roasts our coffee beans which come in fresh every week,” Jill notes. They serve organic coffee products and also offer Light of Day teas.
Their gelato is also made on the premises. “We get a gelato base from Italy and then custom-design the flavors. It doesn’t take long to make. It’s an extremely creamy product and has one-third less fat than ice cream because it’s whipped with 20 percent air.”
This summer, the Giblers also plan to start adding wraps and salads to their menu.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
The Coffee Bean is also equipped with wi-fi for computer users. Another nice perk is a movie from 7-9 p.m. six nights a week, with a large selection of films available for viewing on a big-screen TV.
Speaking of which, the Coffee Bean also offers customer-friendly hours, being open later than most coffeehouses in the area. Its 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. hours accommodate the early-to-work crowd as well as those who need a boost mid-evening. “We also have a loyalty program for our customers,” Jill adds. “You can get a prepaid card here to swipe on your account, with the 10th item free.”
In total, the Coffee Bean Cafè offers a pleasant stop with imaginative decor. The coffee is good and life is good for Jill and Tom. The couple are looking forward to their big grand opening party in June. Check it out at 2770 Silver Lake Road, or call 922-1089.