In support of caffeine

Sometimes you just have to get that caffeine fix. And a little thing like a bad economy isn’t going to stop you.

Large coffee chains like Starbucks are feeling the pinch as some people cutback on their discretionary spending to save money, but local espresso shops say that their loyal clientele continues to come in for that daily latte or 16-ounce mocha.

“They always come back,” said Marcus Davis as he pulled espresso shots at Black Tie Espresso on Spokane Street in Post Falls.

Davis said winter took more of a toll on business than the economy, with some people staying home because of treacherous driving conditions.

Customer Paul Kolarz is a Black Tie regular. When asked if he was drinking less coffee because of rising prices on other things, Kolarz flashed an incredulous look as if he had been asked if he would sell a kidney to make a little extra money.

“I never do,” he said of giving up coffee. “I love it. It’s important to have my coffee because it keeps me alert all day long.”

At Caruso’s in Post Falls, sandwiches are still the bulk of the business, but coffee sales have been growing since the deli switched to Thomas Hammer coffee, said owner Desi Freeman.

Thomas Hammer has been doing more to promote the brand at the shop, Freeman said.

“We’re still trying to work on our morning business because a lot of people don’t want to come in for coffee. They’d rather go through a drive-through,” she said.

Even so, the coffee drinkers who do stop in at Caruso’s aren’t cutting back because of rising prices on other things.

“It’s one of those things like cigarettes, if coffee is your thing, you’re still going to do it,” Freeman said.

It’s really too early to say how much the rising gas prices and other economic hardships will impact customers’ decisions to buy coffee drinks, said Amelia Kirk, owner of Kirk’s Espresso in Hauser.

“This is a tough time for us to make a judgment call because January and February are our worst months, and we’re just coming out of winter,” Kirk said.

What Kirk is experiencing right now is a challenge on the other end of her business.

Rising costs for everything from milk and coffee to baked goods and delivery charges are squeezing profit margins, said Kirk.

Kirk said that after 10 years in the business, customers have become friends.

“We’re trying hard to keep our prices down for the customers,” she said.

Back at Black Tie Coffee, a group of friends from The Highlands gathers once a week to talk about family, entertainment and politics.

Betty Borg economizes with the type of coffee she buys.

“I don’t buy the lattes. I buy the regular coffee,” Borg said.

At Spokane Valley’s Galaxy Grind, owner Steve Mather speculated that Starbucks’ quality issues may be a bigger issue for the global chain than the economy.

“I think they just ran a lot of customers off,” Mather said. He’s been seeing many of those customers coming into his business.

Starbucks prices have also been rising steadily, turning some people off.

Kay Cronin agreed with Mather and blames Starbucks’ 28 percent drop in profits this past quarter on the company’s sterile stores and inferior coffee. “People would rather come to a place like this,” she said, gesturing to the seating area at Black Tie coffee.

For Cronin and her friends, the camaraderie at the Post Falls coffee shop keeps them coming back.

“We’ve all retired from our working years and can afford our mochas,” said Andy Lein. “And we deserve them.”