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Company History
Started in 1994 by siblings Stephen and Kerry Duffy, what was originally opened under the name Seattle Coffee Company is known today as City Dock Coffee. From the beginning, Steve and Kerry's goal was to establish a chain of coffee shops who's success at the retail level, would build a brand allowing for expansion into other areas of the coffee industry.
Choosing to locate in the state of Maryland where Kerry was living, they opened a coffee kiosk within a hospital. This kiosk was the first exposure to a coffee bar for many of the hospital's staff and visitors and much time was spent explaining to customers what espresso was and why it was worth more than the 50 cents per cup they were accustomed to spending for coffee. The coffee culture that Steve had been exposed to while growing up in the Pacific Northwest had not yet begun in this small mid-Atlantic state, yet Steve and Kerry believed that it was just a matter of time before the coffee craze that was sweeping the west coast, would make its way east.
Encouraged by the success of their first year, the duo opened a second hospital kiosk just 15 miles from the first and a third location when Steve noticed a small storefront available in the historic district of Annapolis. With each passing month it became clearer that Steve and Kerry were serious about making a name for themselves within the Maryland business community. The Seattle Coffee Company was getting noticed and nothing stated this more clearly than when they were given the opportunity to purchase their biggest competitor in Annapolis, City Dock Café. It was at this point that the names of the three original Seattle Coffee Company stores were changed to reflect the City Dock name. The company was now employing a staff of 60; including a full kitchen staff which seven days a week, was scratch baking all pastry and lunch products offered at all City Dock locations.
The acquisition of City Dock Café had changed the dynamics of this young company dramatically, so while Kerry concentrated on running the retail stores, Steve focused on refining the internal systems that were necessary to operate this now rapidly expanding company. During the next 27 months City Dock Café would open their fifth and sixth locations in Severna Park and Arnold Maryland. The Arnold location boasted an outdoor patio and also housed City Dock Coffees new 1500 square foot commercial kitchen, containing the state of the art equipment and space needed to meet the increasing demand of supporting all of the City Dock locations.
Steve and Kerry have focused on setting their business apart from the competition by stressing three principles:
1. Become the local watering hole. "The
place where the locals go".
2. Live by the 70/70 Rule, which states
that staff must know 70% of all customer's names or drinks.
3. Develop the Cheers Mentality, which dictates
that the style of interaction between staff and customer is more like
a friend than a business transaction.
By achieving these principles and conducting business with a constant dedication to quality, City Dock has created a superior reputation within the Maryland area. Each City Dock store manager and their staff are expected to play an active role in the communities that surround their store. This type of local community participation has brought City Dock much media attention both locally and nationally. In 2003 Steve and Kerry were chosen as their Chamber of Commerce's "Small Business Persons of the Year" and went on to be recognized as first runner up for this award for the State of Maryland.
With the success of the cafés, City Dock has now spun off a second division called City Dock Coffee Services, with the motto "You have your business Coffee is Ours. City Dock Coffee Services provides the equipment, a selection of their highly recognized coffees and other products to restaurants, offices, universities and other companies who wish to bring to their staff and customers, the same high end products that have made City Dock famous for over a decade. Currently servicing customers from Seattle to Boston, City Dock Coffee Services has experienced tremendous growth.
From a brother and sister team who shared 12 hour days, 7 days a week, to a company employing over 100 in its retail and Coffee Services Division; City Dock Coffee is recognized as one of Maryland's favorite businesses and expects to continue on our path of growing the City Dock brand.
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