Port City Java says “bienvenido” to new customers

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — It’s a growing consumer market that many national chains are trying to capture. Now one Wilmington-based company is working to court Latino customers.

You can go into any large chain store and see products both in English and Spanish as companies all over take advantage of a large Spanish-speaking population, including Port City Java.

The Wilmington-based coffee chain now offers a Spanish menu for anyone who may have trouble ordering from its English menu. The pamphlet-like menu lists descriptions in Spanish while leaving the name of the item in English, that way Port City Java employees who don’t know Spanish can still place a customer’s order.

CEO Steve Schnitzler says the company could no longer avoid this market, who are frequent coffee drinkers.

“It’s not about doing everything in one language or another, it’s about making people feel comfortable and relaxed; having a good comfortable experience in our stores,” Schnitzler said.

According to the Census Bureau North Carolina has one of the fastest growing Latino populations in the country. Port City Java hopes its Spanish menus will bring in those new faces that may have been intimidated before.

Along with the new menus PCJ plans to add a few new pastries to its menu, Like churros. It hopes the new items will appeal to the Latino population and give current customers something new and delicious.