The Valley Social Interview - Split Bean Coffee
BY CHRIS HLAD
Van Nuys Gourmand: Roger Navas
I like coffee. Actually, that's a gross understatement. I really, really, really like coffee, and I'm always searching for the latest and greatest version of my favorite libation.
Recently, I discovered an international company called Split Bean Coffee, which has excellent roasts. The surprisingly thing is that's not all they're good at. They also specialize in marshmallow truffles, and delicious cookies called Alfajores. Fortunately, you don't have to travel the world to find these exotic treats since co-owners Roger Navas and Paul Stone make them right here in Van Nuys!
It was my privilege to sit down and talk with Roger, who gave me an education in coffees and cookies and let me sample Split Bean Coffee's creations. (Tough job, huh?) Every one of their products is hand made, and believe me, it makes a HUGE difference. Their goodies are nothing short of addictive.
The Valley Social: When did your company start up?
Roger Navas: We started Split Bean about two and a half years ago. I was working with Microsoft in the international sales of keyboards. One day, they switched coffee. The company started to scale down on the cost and they started providing vending machine coffee instead of the nice brewed kind. My mom has properties in Nicaragua and cousins of mine grow coffee there. I asked my mom to bring me coffee. She brought over five pounds, which I had ground and took to work. Everybody loved it and said I should sell the stuff. A few months later, I put it on a little Web site.
TVS: It's obviously turned into something much bigger. I understand in addition to the coffee you sell cookies too? Tell me about that.
RN: My boss is a big fan of the Alfajores and normally I would just do them for her for special occasions. Finally, she said, "You've got to put the cookies on the website." I started selling them and the cookies really took off.
TVS: Are they bigger sellers than the coffee now?
RN: I would say that for every ten or fifteen boxes of cookies, we sell one bag of coffee.
TVS: So do you consider yourselves primarily a coffee company or a cookie company?
RN: Well, the name is still Split Bean Coffee, but I would say that our biggest sellers right now are our desserts [marshmallows, truffles, and Alfajores].
TVS: The Alfajores are absolutely delicious, by the way! But, what exactly is an Alfajore?
RN: It's a cookie with an ancient tradition. Alfajores come from the times of the Romans, the Moors in Spain. The word means basically "stuffed" or "put together." The original Spanish Alfajor resembled a Fig Newton. When the Spanish came to Latin America, they brought the recipe with them and variations started surfacing. The traditional one is basically caramel and two shortbread cookies. Some have egg and milk in them and some have just basic butter or lard and flour. It depends on the region.
TVS: Are yours the only ones on the market locally?
RN: No. There's an Argentinean company that imports them as well. There are a couple of wholesale companies that deal more on the mass market. They don't have the same consistency (as ours) because theirs are mass produced. There are certain short cuts you can take to whip a batch of caramel in 45 minutes, but the consistency is not going to last more than a week.
TVS: And yours last how long?
RN: I would say they have a shelf life of three weeks, without preservatives.
TVS: You do it all by hand?
RN: All by hand. Small batches. We don't use any machinery in processing the flour.
TVS: And your marshmallows? Are these handmade as well?
RN: Yes. Our marshmallows are quite popular. We've sent them to celebrities, including a certain vice-presidential candidate. We just sent 250 boxes to Philadelphia for this big bash they're having with the Willie Wonka theme. They're going to use them for dipping.
TVS: We've talked a lot about your desserts. What makes your coffee different than other products on the market?
RN: By the time other companies ship their coffee to the store, it can already be a week old, and you don't know how long it's been sitting there by the time you buy it. I don't roast anything until the customer orders it. That's why normally we have a one to three business day turnaround on all orders. Everything is made to order.
TVS: It's just you and Paul. How do you manage?
RN: It's primarily a family affair. (My little niece here is the box maker.) For the last holiday we brought in two other people because we were baking ten hours in one place, eight hours in another place. I either stay in the kitchen or run to the post office!
TVS: Will you continue to keep everything handmade when your business continues to grow?
RN: That's my goal. I had an offer to make ten thousand boxes of cookies. When I told the guy that it wasn't something I'd be able to do by hand, he said he would bring in machinery or license somebody to make the cookies. I said no. I want to control the growth. I have a faithful client base right now because of what's inside the box.
TVS: Where are most of your customers?
RN: We have a large following on the east coast and in the mid-west. But most of our customers are in California. We have shipped worldwide to Germany, Iceland, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Japan, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Australia, Denmark, Norway, Israel, Sweden, England, Ireland, Singapore, and The Netherlands.
TVS: How do you handle shipping to all of those places?
RN: We ship everything using USPS Priority Mail, but will ship express, if the customer requests it. Our goods don't have artificial preservatives, but they still have a shelf life of three weeks. We have done quality control tests to ensure freshness by shipping Van Nuys Gourmand: Roger Navas products to Florida and having them shipped back.
TVS: How do people find Split Bean Coffee?
RN: Mainly through the Internet. A lot of our success is due to word of mouth, and people buying the cookies and other goodies for presents. Paul and I both volunteer for an organization called PAWS L.A. (www.PawsLA. org). They help the pets of people who are sick with AIDS or cancer (as well as the elderly and housebound) by providing veterinary services. What we do for them is pet food deliveries. We've been doing that for four years, on our own time. So, we advertise through their Web site and donate all the cookies and coffee for their annual celebrity fund-raiser called Pet Art.
[Editor's Note: This Year, Pet Art 7 will be held on Sunday, November 13th.]
TVS: You are obviously both very busy, but I've got to know what you do with your free time?
RN: I rollerblade at Balboa Park. Not much this summer (because of all the construction that has been going on), but I think one of our favorite pastimes would be rollerblading there. We also like to hike the Studio City trail in the mountains.
TVS: When you make your millions, are you going to move out of the Valley?
RN: No, I grew up here. My niece is here. I think that's who keeps me here. I like the Valley. If you live in the central part of the valley, it's easy to get places. The beach is not too far away. If you like snow, it's not that far. We have major airports. I just wish we had a Metro that came all the way out here!
TVS: What's the easiest way to reach you?
RN: The Web address is http://www.splitbeancoffee.com/ and the phone number is (818) 448-5185. By the way, we do free delivery for all Valley-area customers who call, fax, or e-mail us.
TVS: How much do your Alfajores and coffees cost?
RN: Our regular price is $9.95 for traditional Alfajores and most coffees are $9.95.
Chris Hlad is a Los Angeles native who freelances and writes fiction. E-mail: cabo782000@yahoo.com
