Cup of Jon

REVIEW SUMMARY
Business. Barnie's CoffeeKitchen
Industry. Coffee retail
Key. Firm believes resurgence will be led by loyal and passionate customers.

Orlando-area entrepreneur Jonathan Smiga, with an executive career that stretches from the Cheesecake Factory to Williams-Sonoma to Robert Mondavi wine, has sipped into the coffee industry.

A former Sarasota resident, Smiga went straight for the good stuff, too, in his new role as president and CEO of Barnie's CoffeeKitchen. The approach: Attack coffee king Starbucks by being everything the behemoth isn't. The attack has so far taken place in Orlando, but expansions are planned in 2013 for the Tampa-St. Petersburg region, followed by Sarasota-Bradenton.