Epplein had his epiphany one day in the late ’80s when he overheard one of his servers replying to a customer who had ordered an espresso. “I’m sorry,” said the server, “but our espresso machine is broken.” Broken, thought Epplein? Not when he tried it! Turns out the server just didn’t want to make the espresso. He was afraid of not being able to correctly grind, dose and tamp the coffee in order to produce an acceptable drink.

It was then that Epplein began looking for an easier, more user-friendly method of making espresso. Because if the server or bartender doesn’t want to make the drink, he or she certainly will not sell it. After considerable research in the U.S. and Europe, Epplein discovered espresso pods and experimented with a number of brands. Not satisfied with the quality available, he finally came up with a custom blend of varietals that is roasted to his specifications in Italy and made into pods.

Today, espressopods.com and Virginia Espresso provide espresso pods, espresso machines, supplies and service to more than 200 foodservice operators in central and southeastern Virginia. The company’s mission is to help foodservice operators successfully sell espresso-based drinks.

To that end, espressopods.com provides not only an outstanding product, but vivid point-of-purchase materials and 24/7 technical support to assure that espresso is a significant profit center for its clients.