HotSpot Coffee Shoppe

Overview

HotSpot Coffee Shoppe is located at 1216 S. Ridgewood Avenue Daytona Beach, Florida, a diverse, rapidly growing and highly respected community within short distance from American Motorcycle Institute, American Training Institute, Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach Community College, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, International Academy, Keiser College, Nova Southeastern University, Palmer College of Chiropractic, Phoenix East Aviation, and the University of Central Florida. It enjoys easy access to major freeways I-4 & I-95, and is situated on busy U.S. 1 near a variety of professional offices, local retail, service establishments, and motels.

The HotSpot Coffee Shoppe supports and donates building space for the Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance. Daytona Press, and Denlinger’s Publisher’s, Ltd. also occupy space within the building.

HotSpot Coffee Shoppe fosters a team-oriented atmosphere among its employees.

History

We are happy you found us and are interested in our origin.

The continual growth of Denlinger's Publishers, over the past few years, prompted Marcia Buckingham and Gustav Postreich to relocate to a more desirable commercial location that would allow for expansion.

For several years, they searched in their previous locale of Edgewater, primarily to retain telephone numbers and address.

Marcia and Gus realized that all commercial locations in the New Smyrna Beach / Edgewater area were not adequate, thus the search moved outside the box.

Prior to making an offer, early 2002, Gus and Marcia thought they had done their homework. They inquired with city zoning if a publishing company was acceptable. Yes, was the answer, so an offer was made and accepted on an old restaurant building built in 1947. Soon after the closing February 1, 2002, Gus and close friend Jay Rogers, began the demolition. They went as far as they could go without building permits. During preliminary removal of equipment and clean-up, some of the old-timers in the area asked if we were bringing back the 25 cent hamburger or the 99 cent breakfast.

Marcia and Gus expected to be open in August, they just didn't know which year...

Action between the architect, draftsman, and city planners was slow. Then, the city said we were not zoned for a retail business, NO BOOK STORE, but professional offices are OK. I guess we didn't ask the right question up front. Of course, the primary reason for finding a new location was to incorporate our publishing company and have a brick and mortar bookstore.

Not to be shaken, Marcia and Gus decided to open a coffee shop. They found you can sell books as an incidental sales item in a coffee shop. WOW!

Prior to one planning meeting, one city official mentioned the planning folks were empowered. They all had good intentions, they wanted the place to be a showcase in this slightly blighted neighborhood. And, they were right, it is a showcase... Now, other owners in the neighborhood have made significant improvements to their properties also.

The city of Daytona Beach finally issued a building permit for the renovations on July 29, 2004. The contractor needed to begin scheduling the subs.

After two years of owning the property, you would have thought we'd have opened. However, even after the new signs went up January 1, 2004, it was noticed Cappuccino was spelled incorrectly. And, wouldn't you guess it, the sign company went out of business.

Marcia and Gus were optimistically thinking Grand Opening some time in 2005.

Another delay in the form of Charley, Frances, and Jeanne.

The contractor notified us he would not be able to begin the project. We feel the most probable reason was that he had too much work as a result of three hurricanes...

Bidding went out for the selection of another contractor. As of March 1, 2005, we had a new contractor who was already hard at work.

Our Landscape Architect asked why we didn't plan a drive-thru. "Because the city said NO" was the answer. He made a few phone calls and we applied for and was granted a variance to open a drive-thru.

The new drywall was finally up in August 2005.

Things continued to come together... We wishfully thought, maybe biketoberfest!!!

Another Biketoberfest passed... However, completion of interior renovations was close. At that point, we planned to open soon after the first of January, 2006.

During January, the city inspectors had signed off electrical, plumbing, mechanical for AC and Heating. The final inspection and the fire marshal were left. The final final for the city was the landscape inspection and then they would issue the CO, (Certificate of Occupancy).

After city inspections came the Department of Agriculture inspection just prior to opening...

We were optimistically thinking it would be possible to open in time for the Daytona 500 race, February 19, 2006 however, there were still a lot of details to take care of. Maybe Bike Week, March 3-12, would be the better bet.

OK, if you've read this far, we finally did open for business the first day of Bikeweek, March 3, 2006. It has been an experience we will never forget.

Through it all, we have received a tremendous amount of encouragement from relatives, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. We have met GREAT new friends in this journey.

The local business and motel owners have stopped by, offering encouragement.

We offer a nice meeting place for business people. For others, it becomes a place to chill out, or do research with our FREE Internet connection. Thursday evenings have become a hit with "Live Music." It's open Mic Night, hosted by Wes Malone, guitarist and singer, Bob Wind, guitarist and folk song singer, and Bob McClure and his Karaoke. These guys have graciously donated their time to help make the HotSpot successful. We will be eternally thankful for their encouragement. See some of the photos in our events section.

We are open to suggestions to increase our business. We've gone from one Open Mic on Thursday and split off poetry to its own special night. Then, two Open Mic Nights and a Mid Day Open Mic, hosted by Bob Wind and Charlie Poplees, and Special Artist Night on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturday. Marcia and Gus reserve the 2nd and 4th Saturday for their Ballroom Dancing recreation. Wednesday nights are becoming popular with the Music Clinic, hosted by Don Race, that will teach guitar and other instrument basic techniques and some voice coaching. We need the events to pay the bills. We're constantly thinking about how to increase the daytime customer base.

Since we are not a restaurant, we like to refer potential customers to other businesses in the area. Like, The Club House Restaurant, open to the public, just around the corner on Wilder. The prices are already quite reasonable and Glen will give you a 10% discount if you tell him you were referred by the HotSpot. If you are in the mood for Fine Italian Dining, see Lina and Sam at The Cellar. For a health concept eatery where "Herbivores and Carnivores can eat in harmony," see Mario at The Dancing Avocado Kitchen and just up the street, FRESH, an Italian restaurant recently opened. John and Tonya are appreciative when they have parking lot overflow, to use our parking lot the nights we do not have an event.

Marcia and Gus love to support those who help support us... Go to The HotSpot Support Link... And, if we are aware of a performers venue, we announce it during our Open Mic Events.

We have so many people to thank... Our regular customers pitch in and help with clean-up on event and party nights. Rachel, our walking billboard, orgainzes parties and is just so generous. She suggests a birthday party, once a month, for those who have had a birthday during the month. Let us know your birth date, not necessarily the year, and you will be recognized. Let's party...

Gus continues to work full time at Kennedy Space Center to help support the operation. The space center is where he met Marcia some 25+ years ago. He says he is working to have the privilege of he and Marcia owning a coffee shop. A few space shuttle graphics at the following links... Marcia as Heroine in Aviation, hanging in Chicago's Ohare Airport and in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Gus giving Senator John Glenn a tour of the shuttle just prior to flying as the oldest astronaut; Senator John Glenn is a Fraternal Brother to Gus. And Gus some 25+ years ago about the time he met Marcia. And yes, the orientation is correct. Challenger (OV-99) is at Launch Complex 39, Pad A and Gus is laying in the seat... Both Marcia and Gus were SCO's (Space Craft Operators). Gus is an electronic technician and has basically been doing the same job since the Apollo Moon Missions from the mid 60's. Marcia was a mechanic and Quality Inspector. From the time the shuttle lands and the astronauts disembark, SCO's take over the controls to facilitate testing and checkout of all systems during processing until the astronauts climb aboard ready for launch.

And so, the adventures of Mocha Marcia and Latté Gus continues... Follow this link to see the most famous right hand in Daytona Beach and the Daytona News Journal Open Mic Opportunities.,

Stop by and make our day...