One For The Road

Bearclaw Coffee finds home in Chelsea

(Friday, March 10, 2006) - Chelsea's Laurie Hood has built a successful business thanks to hard work and hard-working employees such as her daughter Liz and April Kovacs. Hood says the challenges she faces on a daily basis are probably the same for all business owners. "I think the key is staying focused on providing great products and service in a timely fashion and thereby establishing your business," she said. "The next step is to grow the business and become a vital part of the Chelsea business community. I'm looking forward to that." The menu at Bearclaw includes "hot stuff" such as café lattes, mocha, cappuccino, espresso, chai, tea and hot chocolate; "cold stuff" such as frozen latte, Italian soda, iced tea and bottled water; and "tasty stuff" such as different kinds of flavored smoothies, bearclaw pastries, bagels and biscotti. "Our gift baskets are very popular and we offer gift certificates as well," Hood said. "We also carry a line of Michigan Label products that are also popular." Hood's business philosophy is simple. "I model and train my staff to provide quality products in a timely but friendly manner," she says. "We also really work on connecting with customers in a personal way even if it's only for a few moments. We all need more of that. I have been very fortunate to have a wonderful staff and the customers really enjoy them. I figure the rest will come." For Chelsea's Laurie Hood, picking a franchise business to start was fairly easy. She wanted it to be in Chelsea. And she wanted it to be something she believed in. "We picked Bearclaw Coffee because we liked the products, the Chelsea location and because we felt Debi and Doug Scroggins (the franchise owners) had a good business philosophy and could provide local personal support," said Hood, who opened her Bearclaw location at 12855 E. Old U.S. 12 in the Oak Tree Plaza in March. "And I must say, their support has been constant, but not overbearing." Hood began her search for a Chelsea food-related business in the summer of 2006 and decided on a Bearclaw Coffee franchise in August. "We opened on March 10, 2006," Hood said. "Much of what went on until December had to do with zoning and Lima Township, which by the way was very supportive." Hood didn't have to look far to find an interior designer to work on the inside of the store. And while many people only see Bearclaw from the seat of their car, it's worth going inside just to see the beautiful wood work. "My husband (John) enjoys woodworking and had a great time designing and building the northwoods interior that creates a cozy camp atmosphere," said Hood, who chose the location because of the ease for drive through access and to target the commuter traffic on Old U.S. 12 and I-94. So far, so great. "Business has been terrific and has exceeded our expectations," she said. "We are always amazed at the crosssection of people we get. Besides Chelsea we have customers from Grass Lake, Canton, Jackson, Ann Arbor, Farmington Hills and even Chicago. "Customers like the quick, friendly service and seem to appreciate our healthy line of foods as well as drinks. Our frozen mochas and Lattes for instance are soy based and low carb, and our smoothie product is 100 percent fruit." Bearclaw even has regulars. And employees have learned to have their customer's drinks already made before they reach the window. "We know their cars and when we spot them get in line we start making their drinks," said April Kovacs, an employee at Bearclaw.
Hood, 48, who was born in Culver City, Calif. and has lived in Minneapolis and Seattle, moved to Chelsea 11 years ago. She worked in the occupation therapy field for 20 years while her husband is a pilot for Northwest. "I decided I'd like to try something new and have always liked working with food," she said.

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