January 13, 2006

Java Junction and Juice Caboose

Open since September of 2005, Java Junction and Juice Caboose
offers coffee, bagels and smoothies all in one place

By Diego Abeloos
Editor

It’s coffee, bagels and smoothies all rolled into one, and it’s right in the heart of Evergreen Village Square.

Java Junction and Juice Caboose is located on the corner of Evergreen Village Square and Altamara Avenue and offers authentic Italian-style coffee drinks, bagels and smoothies. The establishment first opened its doors in September of 2005.

Java Junction and Juice Caboose, located on the corner of Evergreen Village Square and Altamara Avenue, first opened its’ doors in September of 2005, with the idea of offering customers a one-stop establishment for every Evergreen resident’s daily fixes.

Owner Steve Spadafora, 35, is no stranger to coffee, or any of the other amenities his establishment offers. His brother Michael has been in the food service business for more than 25 years, opening two Java Junctions in Santa Cruz nearly 15 years ago, albeit without the added bonus of smoothies.

“Everyone needs coffee, everyone wants bagels and everyone wants smoothies,” Spadafora said, explaining his service. “You can set up a Jamba Juice and they can stand on their own two feet alone. Starbucks, they can stand on their own two feet, and you can do a Posh Bagel. We’re all three in one. So we’re three stores instead of paying renting out on three separate locations. We just put it all into one.”

Spadafora, who worked at both Santa Cruz locations while attending college several years ago, wanted in on his brother’s act. After seven years in hi-tech, Spadafora decided to venture out on his own and quickly found that Evergreen Village Square offered some similarities to his brother’s Santa Cruz locations.

“The Santa Cruz locations are considered neighborhood-style cafes,” said Spadafora. “They’re not off a busy road, so it’s more of just a neighborhood setting. You’ve got the same people coming every day, so you get that same customer base. So basically, it [Evergreen Village Square] looked like a great place for a Java Junction.”

Spadafora said he sought some input on opening his own location from his brother, but had ample experience nonetheless, having worked at both Santa Cruz locations for more than three years while going to college. Before opening his own Java Junction, Spadafora returned to his brother’s cafes to refresh his memory and regain his “speed” in making coffee drinks.

As far as coffee is concerned, Spadafora said Java Junction and Juice Caboose offer many of the same drinks any café normally would. The coffee served at his establishment is 100 percent organic, roasted just over the hill by his family’s roasting company, Whole Bean Roasting. The Spadaforas opened the roasting company nearly five years ago.

Java Junction and Juice Caboose strives for freshness, getting weekly shipments of coffee beans and daily deliveries of bagels and baked goods from Posh Bagel in Los Gatos.

The emphasis at Java Junction and Juice Caboose is on freshness. Spadafora gets his beans roasted weekly, adding, “My beans were literally green two days ago.” In addition, all of the coffee drinks are handcrafted, with his Mexican Mocha, featuring a touch of cinnamon and Mexican spices, his hottest seller to date. Spadafora also stressed that his espresso drinks are the real deal, just like those made in Italy.

Spadafora also gets all of his bagels delivered fresh daily from Posh Bagel in Los Gatos, and makes his own schmears to go with them. Spadafora’s smoothies are also made before the customer’s eyes while they wait.
As an added bonus, Spadafora’s establishment has free wireless Internet access for his customers.

Although there are three Java Junction locations established, don’t count on it being a franchise anytime soon, Spadafora said.

“A lot of people have asked if we’d franchise it out, and that’s pretty much up to my brother if he’d like to do that,” Spadafora said. “Right now, he’s busy. He’s got two kids, I’ve got two kids. We’re just really busy.”

Java Junction and Juice Caboose is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. The store also opens at 7 a.m. during the weekend, closing at 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 5 p.m. on Sundays.