A business perfectly suited for the times: Ellianos hardly had to change a thing

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Business has actually increased during the coronavirus pandemic.

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  • Ellianos manager Lorrain Gleason hands a custom frozen coffee creation through the drive-up window at the business location on U.S. 90 West Tuesday morning in Lake City. Ellianos serves a variety of gourmet Italian coffee and operates a double-drive-through-only business. The company, which is a Lake City-based franchise, has seen business increase during the coronavirus pandemic. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)
    Ellianos manager Lorrain Gleason hands a custom frozen coffee creation through the drive-up window at the business location on U.S. 90 West Tuesday morning in Lake City. Ellianos serves a variety of gourmet Italian coffee and operates a double-drive-through-only business. The company, which is a Lake City-based franchise, has seen business increase during the coronavirus pandemic. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)
  • Ellianos barista Samantha Bringger, left, makes change at the cash register while manager Lorrain Gleason gives instructions during a busy time Tuesday morning at the drive-through coffee house. Ellianos staff wears fresh gloves with each customer transaction, but only to touch money or debit cards exchanged with customers. Those same gloves are removed to make and handle the coffee products to prevent the spread of germs. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)
    Ellianos barista Samantha Bringger, left, makes change at the cash register while manager Lorrain Gleason gives instructions during a busy time Tuesday morning at the drive-through coffee house. Ellianos staff wears fresh gloves with each customer transaction, but only to touch money or debit cards exchanged with customers. Those same gloves are removed to make and handle the coffee products to prevent the spread of germs. (TODD WILSON/Lake City Reporter)
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Ellianos, the drive-through coffee server, may have the perfect pandemic business model.

Through the coronavirus crisis, the Ellianos location on U.S. 90 West in Lake City has seen business surge throughout the day, as cars weave around the building in lines at both drive-up windows of what the baristas working inside the small, square building affectionately refer to as the “coffee box.”

“Our customers are great and we have been really busy through all of this,” said Lorrain Gleason, Ellianos on 90 West manager. “We make their coffee just the way they like it. We know our regular customers and we take care of them. They keep coming back and they take care of us.”

The Lake City-based franchise with locations throughout North Florida and several southeastern states has championed the drive-through model at all of its locations. Ellianos is not a sit-down coffee house. It is a get-it and go drive-through model at all of its locations and always has been. By design, this has been a great benefit to the coffee company during this month of coronavirus pandemic precautions.

“We are taking a lot of extra precautions to keep everyone safe, but we have seen our business grow,” Gleason said. “We’re using gloves to handle cash and card transactions, but we don’t touch the coffee cups with the gloves we handle the transaction with. And we use fresh gloves with each customer. We’re doing everything we can.”

Gleason said 14 full and part-time workers staff the Ellianos on 90 that on most days is open from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sundays are the exception when the “coffee box” keeps hours from 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

“We have been slammed with customers, but we love it,” Gleason said. “We love serving coffee to our customers and we are ready with extra people working here to serve them.”

Ellianos, founded in Lake City in the early 2000s by Scott Stewart, trademarked the slogan “Italian quality at America’s pace.” The U.S. 90 West location opened in 2005 and has had several facelifts as the company has rebranded and changed logos during franchise updates along the way.

“At least 85 percent of our customers are repeat customers. They tried our coffee and they love it and our customer service is excellent, so the experience of coming here overall is great,” said Megan Cady, a spokeswoman in the Ellianos corporate office. “At all of our locations, you get a consistent good cup of coffee that you love.”

Gleason said specialty coffee can be a comfort purchase during stressful times.

“We have literally hundreds of customers who we memorize their drinks and we know exactly how they like it, what they want in their coffee,” Gleason said. “We know our regular customers and we take care of them.”

Ellianos offers several varieties of hot, iced and frozen coffee drinks, including espresso shots. Various liquid flavor shots can be added to any coffee bringing the combination of drink flavors to more than 100 varieties. The company also offers sugar-free and low-fat guilt-free versions of most frozen drinks. They also offer coffee-free drinks, smoothies and shakes for the kids or patrons who don’t enjoy coffee.

“We have drinks for everyone in the family,” said barista Marisa Brinkley, as she made a coffee freezer drink drizzled with chocolate, caramel and adorned with whipped cream on top.

Gleason said the service goal for customers is two minutes per vehicle, but this is based on one person placing an order for a single cup of coffee. During these pandemic times, she said they are seeing a few more families come through with multiple orders that sometimes may slow their lines just a little, but customers should realize baristas are doing their best to serve everyone quickly and safely during these hectic times.

“During this pandemic, we are honored to be open and to be serving coffee,” Gleason said. “We’re here for everyone in our community.”