8 minute read
BUSINESS
TheMesaTribune.com | @EVTNow /EVTNow
Valley’s oldest coffee shop has Las Sendas presence
BY MELODY BIRKETT
Tribune Staff Writer
Hava Java is celebrating 30 years in the Valley – second only to Macy’s of Flagstaff as the oldest coffee shop in Arizona.
“When I started out, I was the only person in the whole Valley,” said Justin Shafer, founding owner of Hava Java Coffee Shop. “I sold my first latte’ Jan. 27, 1992.”
That was eight years before Starbucks arrived in Phoenix.
Living in Seattle in the late ‘80s, Shafer envisioned owning his own coffee house.
“There was a coffee shop on every corner,” he recalled. “I was in my 20s. Back then, I just wanted to make some money. I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life. I always thought that food would be a good thing to go into because people always have to eat. When it came to coffee, it’s something people had to have every day. It just made sense.”
His goal was to open a coffee shop in Arizona, a place he once called home. In 1991, he moved back to Phoenix. Over a year later, Shafer started the first and only gourmet coffee cart in Arizona in a high-rise office building at the old Phoenix Plaza at Central and Thomas. Then he opened St. Joseph’s Hospital’s first coffee shop in 1993.
He ran his coffee cart operations for two and a half years .including one at a Phoenix bookstore at 32nd St. and Camelback. “It was just me for 17 hours a day, 7 days a week for 2 1/2 years,” said Shafer. After the bookstore closed in 1995, Shafer took a portion of their old space to build an indoor coffee house, where Hava Java remains today.
Since then, he hired staff to assist him.
“We have always been fortunate to have very little employee turnover and that really helps,” he said. Owner Justin Shafer’s Hava Java is the Valley’s oldest coffee shop and he opened a subsidiary location in Las Sendas two years
ago. (Melody Birkett/Tribune Contributor)
His Las Sendas Mesa location near Power and McDowell roads opened two years ago.
“We’ve been serving a lot of the same customers for 30 years,” Shafer said. “We know their families, husbands, wives and their kids. We know where they go to school, where they go to work, where they vacation.”
Despite more competition these days, Shafer said his motto and the secret to his success is serving quality products in a clean, upbeat environment with great customer service.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for poor customer service,” he said. “We treat our customers the way we want to be treated and I treat my staff with dignity and the way they should be treated. I’ve never been the type to push people around. We have the most awesome customers at our locations.”
He feels, “Anybody can make coffee at home. They don’t go out for a cup of coffee. They go out for the overall experience. If you can’t provide something fabulous, why leave the house?”
He said many people have gotten married after meeting their spouse at his coffee house. “In fact, I met my own wife,” said Shafer. “She was one of my customers.”
As for his menu, he boasts, “Anything you can get at other coffee shops you can get at our place. We have a custom roasted blend of beans we feel are superior to what everybody else has out there.” Breakfast and lunch sandwiches, a few made-to-order lunch items, fresh bakery items and 25 different loose-leaf teas are offered as well – along with 14 beers on tap and wine.
“In the early days of the coffee business, nobody sold alcohol,” said Shafer. “I figured why not have something for people in the evening. We provide a really nice place for people to be – somewhere besides the home and office. They can come work and study in our coffee house. A lot of people are there from coffee to beer all day long.”
Though he opened the Mesa location one week before the pandemic hit, Shafer has survived despite a 90 percent nosedive in sales. “That first year was a little on the rough side, to say the least, but we never closed,” he said. “We survived that. We’ve survived so many things in 30 years.”
He encourages everyone to seek out independent businesses. “Give them a try. … the little guys can be much better than the big corporate boxes.
“We have to please. We have to do an extra super job. That’s all we have. The big corporates have deep pockets and they’re indestructible.” Besides, he said, shops like his have “a good vibe.”
“Our community is our family and they feel the same way about us.” ■
Hava Java in Las Sendas offers a contemporary ambience to enjoy a cup of joe or
other beverage. (Melody Birkett/Tribune Contributor)
Hava Java Coffee
2849 N. Power Road, Mesa; (480) 912-5282 Mesa, Las Sendas area HavaJavaCoffee.com,
HAVE BUSINESS NEWS?
PAID ADVERTISEMENT Neuropathy Is Often Misdiagnosed
BY REISHA ZANG PHOENIX –Neuropathy is a condition that involves damage to the nerves in your hands and feet. “Muscle cramping, difficulty walking, burning, tingling, numbness, and pain in the legs or feet are symptoms people living with neuropathy experience on a daily basis,” explains Dr. Kerry Zang, podiatric medical director of CIC Foot & Ankle. “The thing is these symptoms are very similar to those of PAD. They are so similar that in many cases, people are given a diagnosis of neuropathy when in reality it isn’t.”
With a diagnosis of neuropathy often comes a prescription for neurotropic medication. “Medicine isn’t a cure, it’s a way to suppress the symptoms,” says Zang. “The concern with that is if it’s not neuropathy causing the symptoms, the medication may be masking developing, progressive vascular insufficiency allowing PAD, if that’s the root of the problem, to get worse.” It’s important to determine the cause of these neuropathy symptoms, oftentimes it’s PAD (peripheral artery disease). PAD is caused by the buildup of fatty material inside the arteries which hardens into plaque. When this occurs, it limits the amount of blood that passes through the arteries.
“Blood brings oxygen and nutrients to your feet which they need to stay healthy,” explains Zang, “When your feet aren’t getting an adequate supply, they start sending signals.” Those signals include pain, burning, tingling, numbness, or cramping.
The good news is that PAD is treatable. Specialists are able to perform an angiogram which lets them see if disease is present. This minimally invasive procedure is done through a tiny nick in the skin in an office setting. “So, what we do,” explains Dr. Joel Rainwater, MD endovascular specialist, “is go into the bloodstream to find the blockage with imaging guidance. Then with small tools that can go into the smallest arteries, remove the blockage, and restore that blood flow without surgery, without scalpels, without stitches.”
Getting the proper diagnosis is the first step to getting better. “It’s all about finding out what’s causing the problem,” says Zang. “When your feet burn, tingle, or feel numb, it’s your body telling you it needs help, and you should listen. In fact, if you are experiencing any type of discomfort or things just don’t seem right, tell your doctor. The only way we can help is if you let us know you need it.”
If your neuropathy medication is not working, your symptoms may be an indication of another condition.
Quit playing the neuropathy pain game.
NO PAIN DISCOMFORTING PAIN EXCRUCIATING PAIN
MILD PAIN DISTRESSING PAIN
INTENSE PAIN
YES / NO
Do you have difficulty walking without taking a break? Do you have pain, numbness, or cramping in legs or feet? Is your neuropathy treatment not working?
Neuropathy symptoms are very similar to those of PAD. It’s a circulation disorder which can be easily treated in our office without the need for general anesthesia. If you’ve answered “yes” to any of the questions above, call our office today to see how our doctors can help.
(602) 954-0777 cicmedical.com
DR. JOEL RAINWATER / DR. MICHAEL SWITZER / DR. HASSAN MAKKI / DR. KERRY ZANG DR. SHAH ASKARI / DR. DAN SCHULMAN / DR. KIM LEACH / DR. BARRY KAPLAN / DR. JEFF WEISS
Heel Pain Is On The Rise
The weather has a big impact on heel pain. As the days cool down, our activity levels heat up. Going for a walk, playing a round of golf, and hiking are all possible again with the temperature below 100 degrees. But you need to pay attention to your feet. “Getting back to a normal lifestyle can be a shock to your feet, especially to your heels,” says Dr. Shah Askari of CIC Foot & Ankle.
More than two million Americans suffer from plantar fasciitis, a sharp, stabbing, sometimes burning pain in the heel or arch of the foot. It’s anticipated this number will rise as people start taking advantage of better weather.
It typically hurts when first getting up, may lessen after a few steps but always returns. In the past, a cortisone injection was the treatment of choice. “Cortisone manages the pain, but it doesn’t address what’s causing the pain,” explains Askari. Now, treatment focuses on the condition, not just the symptom.
“Regenerative medicine is one of the most promising ways to deal with pain, because it triggers the body to heal,” he explains. “Prolotherapy is an option that uses a natural irritant which starts the healing process.” Growth factor therapy also jump starts and maintains regeneration of new tissues.
In addition, the FDA recently approved cold laser therapy for plantar fasciitis. “Laser treatment is another way to treat heel pain, because it increases circulation, which promotes healing,” says Askari. “It’s all about healing.”
