Nestled in the North Kingstown seaside village of Wickford, it’s served as a coffee shop, restaurant and kitchen store in its 25 years. The locals have come to know it for its good reputation and hometown feel.
And while it may not seem like the logical place for a business incubator, when Ugur Yilmaz looks at Wickford Gourmet Foods, he sees the opportunity for expansion far beyond the village borders his customers have known.
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After purchasing the cafe and its companion store Wickford Gourmet Kitchen & Table earlier this year, Yilmaz began mapping out the plans for expanding the company. He envisioned franchises spinning off the original shop – literally and figuratively – and at the same time creating situations that would allow employees to act more like entrepreneurs while continuing the store’s tradition of quality.
As he looked outward, Yilmaz turned inward to find the people he felt were right to lead the growth.
Hoping to develop two of the company’s stronger sectors – gift basket making and catering – Yilmaz tapped two employees to open and run Wickford Gourmet’s first offshoots in the coming months.
Jaime Willette, an employee of Wickford Gourmet for the last two years, will be opening Jaime’s, a catering business located on Post Road in North Kingstown, in the middle of this month.
Judith O’Brien, whose mother Barbara O’Brien is a manager at and longtime employee of Wickford Gourmet, will be running the gift basket store, which is currently being run out of the Wickford shop. A production location for the yet-to-be-named store is housed on Ten Rod Road in North Kingstown.
Both Willette and O’Brien described Yilmaz as a business-minded, observant entrepreneur.
A Turkish national who was a longtime resident of Russia, Yilmaz specialized in exporting textiles before he came to the United States in 2001. Once in the country, he attended Boston University, where he majored in international marketing.
As a constant visitor to southern Rhode Island, he took a liking to Wickford Gourmet, which he began frequenting. Without thinking, he can spout off how many times he went to the café before he took over (10 before and 13 after he decided to purchase it).
When he approached Willette and O’Brien with his plan, he brought them comprehensive graphs and data to prove to them the ambitious plans could work. But for all of his business sense, both women credited Yilmaz for being generous and giving other people the chance to better themselves.
In fact, while the two stores will fall under the Wickford Gourmet title for the present time, Yilmaz plans on giving both women a chance to be their own entrepreneurs with an option to buy him out within five years. And they appreciate the opportunity.
Both women have worked long hours, doing duty as single mothers, and they believe they never would have been able to live out their dreams without Yilmaz’s help.
And, according to Willette, plans for the stores call for the hiring of handicapped individuals. All of this, she said, is proof that Yilmaz is looking for ways to give back to the community as a whole.
“It’s not just blowing smoke in the wind – it’s really happening,” Willette said. “We’re products of it.”
Of course, none of the expansion plans would be possible without the stellar reputation Wickford Gourmet has in the community. At its current location, in the heart of Wickford, it has become a staple in its community. The store, founded by Joe and Donna Dube, became known for its wide varieties of whole bean coffee, virgin olive oil and nearly 30 kinds of cheeses. The café includes lunch options such as sandwiches and soups.
Wickford Gourmet Kitchen & Table – a store housed in a different building in back of the café – specializes in dinnerware and giftware, glassware, baking accessories, linens and kitchen gadgets, as well as other decorative home accessories.
The store also accepts bridal registrations and runs cooking classes.
The gift basket operation aims to meet all needs, with packages ranging from “sophisticated to casual,” according to the company’s Web site. Themes include “romantic,” “chocolate lovers” and “corporate giving.”
The catering service – available for virtually any occasion – includes the option of having a coordinator, personal chefs, bartenders and wait staff.
For Yilmaz, who was an electronic engineer while he lived in Russia, the small, local shop seems to be a perfect export.
“As a community, I loved this place,” he said. “It’s just very nice to be here.”
