After bringing peace, love and coffee to Frisco for two years, Global Peace Factory Coffee House is expanding. This high-minded coffee concept will open a second branch in Plano, next-door to Trader Joe's at the northeast corner of Park Boulevard and Preston Road, serving up the same combination of espresso drinks and philanthropy.
Owner Bernard Lucien Nussbaumer, an international jet-setter with a colorful history, pledges that 2 percent of his sales go to charity. Born in Switzerland, he's a yoga instructor and former producer of music videos and TV shows such as Dellaventura, a 1997 private-eye show starring Danny Aiello.
The Frisco branch opened in a suburban strip center in 2010 with a unique two-story floor plan featuring a second-floor mezzanine and a visually arresting color scheme of orange, black and gray – colors that will be duplicated at the Plano branch, the artsy Nussbaumer says.
Global Peace Factory will be two doors down from Trader Joe's, and they've forged a surprising alliance in that TJ's has signed on to become the supplier for all the coffee shop's milk.
"Orange really stands out," he says. "There's something regal about it." He likes it so much that he covered one wall with the color at the Frisco store and will do the same at Plano.
Manager Krystal Herrington says that the deciding factor for the Plano location was Trader Joe's.
"We always planned to open a second branch; it was just a matter of finding the right location," she says. "We knew we wanted to stay in Collin County where people recognize our name. When we got the news that Trader Joe's was opening, it made that intersection attractive."
Global Peace Factory will be two doors down from Trader Joe's, and they've forged a surprising alliance in that TJ's has signed on to become the supplier for all the coffee shop's milk. Seattle-based Cafe D'Arte will provide the coffee beans; the espresso machine is a Nuevo Simonelli. A private, not-to-be-named supplier will make pastries, eclairs, cookies, panini and salads.
Herrington says the target opening date is February 14, with hours from 6 am to 9 pm.
"We'll follow the pulse of the community," she says. "Trader Joe's opens at 7 am, but we might be able to attract some morning commuters. Our only competition is a Starbucks inside the book store across the street."
The philanthropic policy will remain.
"Last year, we sent one of our employees to Africa to do mission work, as part of the Mission Discovery program," Herrington says. "We're going to do that again this year. We want to manufacture peace and treat everyone fairly."
Global Peace Factory coffee latte and chocolate croissant.
