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By Jennifer Kline-Lyman, Sentinel Correspondent, July 29, 2007

Last updated: Monday, July 30, 2007 10:48 AM EDT

Any java junkie can attest - nothing says good morning like a steaming hot cup of joe served with a smile.

Victoria Weiser is in the business of providing both.

The New Cumberland resident is the owner of Bridge Street Coffeehouse and says that coffee, espresso, baked goods and smiles are her forte.

Weiser's New Cumberland-based coffee house, equipped with a drive-through and free wireless internet, has been serving local coffee lovers for 7 1/2 years, and the business seems to run like a well oiled machine.

Weiser, also known as a “Ms. President,” and her 10 part-time employees attribute some of their efficiency and genial dispositions to the illustrious benefits of caffeine. However, running a coffee house isn't as easy as it seems.

“There's much more to this job than just pumping a cup of coffee,” she says. “A lot of energy goes into making sure the customer feels welcome and happy with our product. It is also important that our environment creates a welcoming atmosphere. So much happens behind the scenes ... making it appear as if it were easy.”

The Philadelphia native never knew that coffee would eventually be her livelihood. But a series of lifelong unrelated events - moving to York, living on a farm, Broadway aspirations and competing in a beauty pageant - complied with odd jobs - helping to run her parent's greenhouse, working as a singing waitress, singing in a Southern gospel trio and accepting a job at wholesale floral company - eventually led her to self employment.

In 2000, Weiser, then a seasoned professional with 21 years experience working in the floral industry, decided she was ready for a change. An opportunity presented itself so she decided to try her hand at owning a business. Initially, she said idyllic thoughts of sleeping in and short work days convinced her to take the risk.

Weiser quit her job, purchased the existing 600 square foot coffee shop and dove in. In retrospect, she laughed when she remembered how quickly she was disenchanted. But she adopted a hands-on work ethic and adapted to her new demanding schedule.

“If you want to work in this business, make sure you are a morning person,” she said.

Weiser's alarm goes off daily at 4:25 a.m., and after a couple rounds of hitting the snooze button, she makes it to work by 5:30 a.m. and opens by 6 a.m. daily and 7 a.m. on Saturdays.

The prime time witching hour for the plethora of coffee zombies is from 6-10 a.m. Weiser typically works until early afternoon and comes back in the evening to close. When her caffeine buzz wears off, she said her schedule still lends itself for a nap when needed.

Weiser plans on working as much as she needs to and hopes to increase her revenue by 32 percent this year. With her newly renovated 1,200-square foot space, she has been able to add some extras.

Her investment has paid off. The new space accommodates patrons ranging from traveling salesmen and neighborhood locals, to college students and mom's clubs.

Weiser said her people-focused approach and creative touches - like drive-through cue cards and knowing her regular customers' drink of choice by memory - are business practices that separate her from the coffee behemoths.

“I have a great staff that knows my customers and gives them that personal touch, which is so lacking in so much of the world today,” she said.

The coffee house market is very en vogue and evolving trends are commonplace. Weiser keeps an open mind, but remains vigilant. When she travels she visits coffee shops to keep current, but a collaboration of feasibility and classical taste keeps her balanced.

“The coffee industry is always coming up with new ways to market new beverages,” she said. I am still a small coffee shop with only so much room. If I followed every trend there was, I would run out of room. I pick and choose what I think my customers would like and give it a try.”

In the next year or so, she hopes to add ice cream to her menu.

Her days are spent serving coffee, mochas, lattes, teas, scones, bagels, brownies, lunch and breakfast sandwiches, fruit salad, soup and other menu items. She bakes, preps, reviews recipes, and does some light cooking.

Cleaning, buying products, marketing, accounting, inventory and working with staff are also standard. A majority of her time is spent greeting and getting to know her patrons.

“I like to create a lively environment where I am able to interact with customers and employees with good conversation and hopefully help them feel a little better about how they start their day,” she said. “My friends are all people that started out as my customers.

“I like being part of the New Cumberland community. This is an awesome town. I get to know the residents, the children, and the high school kids that work here.”

Weiser said she loves her staffers and is always sad to see them go. One of her job challenges relates to loosing good staff when they go to college. But she said she makes it work and always finds a way to hire a amiable, hard-working team.

Owning a coffee shop does have some extrinsic benefits but Weiser said, “Don't expect to make millions.”

In her downtime, Weiser said she enjoys spending time with her husband, reading, going to the beach, and just stared taking watercolor classes. She jokingly calls herself “Vicasso” and “Vicky Van Gogh,” so don't be surprised if her latest work finds their way into the shop.

Painting won't pay the bills, so when it comes to long-term goals Weiser looks forward to slowing down. One day she hopes to transition the business to her manager so she can focus more on leisure activities.

“I am at an age where permanent recess sounds really appealing,” she said. “I want to play all the time.”