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Before most people in Grand Rapids wake up, workers at Schuil Coffee Company are already busy. Coffee roasters start before the sun rises, preparing for wholesale and online deliveries.
By 6 a.m., cafe employees are getting ready for the morning rush before customers begin arriving at 7 a.m.
Owner Tim Volkema said the early morning routine is inherent to the business.
“Our production team actually gets here a little earlier,” Volkema said.
Schuil Coffee Company is celebrating 45 years in business this year. Over the decades, the company has built a strong reputation by making coffee available in many ways, from café drinks before work to bags of beans sold in grocery stores and online orders delivered to customers’ homes.
Garry and Gladys Schuil started the company in 1981 after Gary, while traveling through Europe, noticed the coffee was better there. At the time, specialty coffee was hard to find in the United States, and Schuil became Michigan’s first specialty coffee roaster.
Later, the business was passed down to the founders’ daughter, Greta. Tim Volkema bought the company in 2017.
“I really wanted to own my own business,” Volkema said.
Before entering the coffee industry, Volkema worked in management consulting, brand management, and e-commerce leadership at Amazon. He was searching for a business with strong fundamentals and a loyal customer base when Schuil Coffee Company caught his attention.
“It just so happened that this was the right size and at the right stage of transition, in the right location,” he said.
Overseeing Growth
Nearly nine years later, the company has expanded significantly. What began as a respected local roaster has grown into a multi-brand operation that now includes Schuil Coffee, Sparrows Coffee, and the recently acquired Leelanau Coffee Roasting Company in Glen Arbor.
The business employs about 80 people. While the cafés are the public face of the company, most of the operation is wholesale, supplying coffee to grocery stores, restaurants, churches, offices, and retailers throughout the region. The company also maintains a growing e-commerce business.
Volkema credits much of the company’s success to the foundation built by the Schuil family.
“They did an amazing job building a great reputation on the quality of their coffee and with community engagement and relationships,” he said. “We’ve grown the business substantially, but really based on that same foundational principle of high quality, locally–owned, with high customer service.”
Customer service begins long before sunrise.
The cafés generally open at 7 a.m., but preparing for those first customers requires hours of behind-the-scenes work. Production crews roast and package beans while café teams prep espresso machines, pastries, and specialty drinks.
Relying on a Strong Team
Many retail businesses face the challenge of balancing customer expectations with employee schedules and burnout. Volkema said building a strong management team has been essential as the company has grown.
“I’ve been able, over time, to grow the business enough to hire a good team,” he said. “I have a very strong management team, and that’s really helpful.”
The company also emphasizes employee creativity and local engagement. Each café develops its own seasonal drinks and personality. Sparrows Coffee has a more modern, minimalist aesthetic, while Schuil’s cafés lean into a warm, classic atmosphere.
“It wouldn’t be good if I came up with them,” Volkema joked about the rotating drink menus. “That’s the café team that comes up with them.”
Helping the community has become an important part of the company. Each month, the cafés choose a special drink connected to a charity. Part of the money from sales of that drink is donated to that local nonprofit.
Volkema said the idea started with one store manager and quickly spread to all of the company’s cafés.
“I honestly think it’s great internally, too,” he said. “I feel like people who work here love it as well.”
Identity is Valued
The company’s connection to the community became even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the cafés struggled during shutdowns, Schuil’s grocery and online sales grew as more people made coffee at home.
“We provide a food product, so we were an essential business,” Volkema said. “Our grocery business did really improve, as did our e-commerce business.”
The company is now entering its next chapter with the addition of Leelanau Coffee Roasting Co., a longtime northern Michigan brand with a devoted following. Volkema said the business plans to preserve the company’s identity while modernizing some aspects of the operation.
One of the most rewarding parts of owning the business, Volkema said, has been the ability to move quickly and adapt.
“When we think a decision is right, just make the decision and move,” he said. “I have preferred to be more nimble.”
After years spent advising other businesses, he said there is deep satisfaction in building something of his own—and becoming part of customers’ daily routines along the way.
“It’s been really cool to be part of that growth and to build my team,” Volkema said.
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