Regulars—

He Goes For The Coffee And Stays For The People

By Nancy K. Crevier

“When Bill walks through the door, I think ‘Doppio Con Panna,’” says Starbucks manager Heather Brande. Bill Oravecz of Southbury is one of her most regular customers at the Church Hill Road establishment. He is not in just once a day or a couple of times a week. Mr Oravecz patronizes the coffee house two or three times a day, six or seven days of the week.

Doppio Con Panna is two shots of espresso with whipped cream. It is the specialty coffee Mr Oravecz likes to start his day, but he can come up with a dozen reasons, he says, to frequent Starbucks. “The main reason,” he says, “it’s right near 84, but even if it’s not on the way, I go out of my way. There are friendly people at this Starbucks. It’s nice to start the day here.”

Even when he arrives by himself, Mr Oravecz never feels alone. He was a Newtown resident from 1969 to 1975 and still knows many people in town. “Most of my friends from St Rose come here,” he says, “and I invite people to do business here. [Starbucks] is  casual, but it has a professional feel to it.”

The Starbucks product is another draw for him, says Mr Oravecz. “First thing in the morning, it’s always Doppio,” he says, “but in the afternoon, I switch to Tazo teas and if I’m in here at night, I try one of the sweeter coffees.”

There are plenty of other Starbucks shops between Southbury and New York, where Mr Oravecz does business, but the people that work at the Newtown location are the reason he makes the Newtown storefront the place to call his own.

“Heather seems to pick the right people to work here,” he says. “You don’t find that in businesses often.”

“Bill brings a smile to our faces when we see him come in,” says Ms Brande, speaking for all of the other Starbucks employees that know Mr Oravecz as well as she does. “He’s very patient when he sees that long line in the morning. When we have a slower time, it’s fun to take the time to chat a few minutes.”

Anyone can serve a cup of coffee, says Ms Brande. “It’s the connection with your customers that makes all the difference and makes it fun to come to work every day.”

For Mr Oravecz, the Newtown Starbucks is an oasis that offers respite from a busy day. “You can relax here, there’s good company, good product, and it feels homey,” he says. “Where else do you find that?”