Sufficient Grounds Coffeehouse Inc.*

After returning to Little Rock from traveling abroad, two Central High School alumni realized their hometown was brewing for a coffee revival. In response, John Newbern and Adam Frith founded Sufficient Grounds Coffeehouse Inc. in 1996.

The original store at 722 N. Palm St. brought in $180,000 in the first six months. Today, there are three Sufficient Grounds stores that gross a total of $750,000, said Newbern, part owner and secretary/treasurer of the company.

Co-owner Frith serves as president and vice president of the company.

Sufficient Grounds has grown most in the last two years, Newbern said, as the concept has caught on in the city. It is modeled after coffeehouses found in Seattle as well as European cities.

At Sufficient Grounds, customers may treat themselves to one of the coffeehouse’s freshly baked goods, pizza, quiche, desserts, coffees and smoothies.

As with any business venture, running the coffee shops has had its ups and downs as well as educational moments. In late 1997, the pair opened their second store, situated on Pierce Street in The Heights, but closed it in November 2000 after customer traffic waned.

Late last year, the company opened another location at the new Victory Building at Capitol Avenue and Victory Street. Sufficient Grounds Bistro accommodates the coffee lover as well as the lunch crowd with its scaled-down menu of quiches, soups and salads.

A third location, called the Sufficient Grounds Café, is on the ground floor of the Union Plaza Building on Capitol Avenue. This store’s menu is similar to the Bistro’s, Newbern said.

As for the future, Newbern hopes to open more stores next year, especially in west Little Rock.