Producing Wicked Good Coffee in NH

In July of 2000, four cousins, all born and raised in southern Maine, opened their first Aroma Joe's, a tiny drive-thru coffee kiosk in East Rochester. Fifteen years later, the Seacoast region keeps coming back for “wicked good” coffee.

Those cousins now have a cult-like following that has led the business to expand to 30 Aroma Joe’s locations in NH and Maine, and all of them except one are drive thrus. The company also plans to open 15 to 20 franchises by the end of the year. In fact, the ultimate goal cited by the owners is to become a national chain alongside Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts.

It was Marty McKenna who was struck by the idea to bring to New England a smooth West-Coast-style blend of coffee while he was working at another coffee company in Oregon. His younger brother Tim McKenna and their first cousins Brian and Mike Sillon agreed and decided to join in. 

The original goal was to serve customers a “wicked good” cup of coffee with fast and friendly service. Though the mission has since expanded to “no intercoms, no mistakes and no attitudes.” The company strives to go beyond customer service, offering what it calls "customer engagement."

“We get to know our customers,” says McKenna. “If you come in a few times, we will know your name and your drink and something about you.”

McKenna describes the franchise as a cross between other widely known coffee chains. Aroma Joe’s flavored iced coffee, starting at $2.50 for a 16 oz. small, is its most popular product, with over 50 flavors including toasted marshmallow. Customers can also purchase a variety of other hot and iced coffees and teas as well as baked goods and breakfast sandwiches.

The majority of customers are younger, mostly 16- to 34-year-olds, though Aroma Joe's also features a “Kiddin’” menu with hot chocolate and juice. “We’re not your mom and dad’s coffee company,” said McKenna.

Aroma Joe’s expects to grow by 50 percent, twice as much as last year. The company also plans to hire an additional 180 baristas.

It recently became licensed to sell franchises in Massachusetts and Vermont and plans to have a total of 250 stores by 2020. And while the company receives an average of 12 inquiries each week to open new franchises, McKenna said the company is dedicated to looking for good operators.

By Elizabeth Haas of the Young Reporters Project, a partnership between Business NH Magazine and the University of NH in Durham.