Flohn worked as a florist for 15 years, but eight years ago she woke up, smelled the coffee and bought her first coffee shop. A year ago, she bought the Queen City Coffee Company, who had supplied the coffee for her shops and where she had worked in sales for two years.

After her acquisition of the company, Flohn decided to spice it up with a new name and fresh packaging. The name La Crema Coffee comes from the sweetest part of an espresso drink, the dark foam called the crema.

As for the packaging, Flohn took the company by storm with a creative design team and 16 different bag colors. "One is lime. It's the only lime-colored coffee bag in the country," Flohn says. "I love the color lime. I think it's an awesome color. I think it's a happy color."

And Flohn tries to make her customers happy with her creativity, which is her favorite part of her job. With the change of seasons, she changes packaging to match the transition. For example, La Crema Coffee recently came out with a Red, White and Brew coffee with a red, white and blue bag with fireworks on the label. "It's not just coffee anymore," Flohn says. "It's a gift -- whether it's for you or someone else."

But customer satisfaction doesn't stop at the sight of the coffee. With more than 200 varieties of coffee, La Crema boasts a repertoire that is bound to satisfy the taste of every coffee aficionado. In fact, Flohn doesn't drink any coffee but her own. Whether she's sipping on a crumb cake coffee or enjoying a cup of birthday cake coffee, Flohn limits her coffee experiences to La Crema Coffee. "I'm a coffee snob," Flohn says.

While Jungle Jim's offers a 42-variety assortment of her coffees and Remke Markets on Buttermilk Pike sells 24 varieties, customers can order directly from Flohn by calling (513) 779-6278. Customers even can order any of the coffees with custom packaging. Each custom order must include at least $300 worth of coffee. There's a $50 setup charge for the entire order, but La Crema Coffee is running a Christmas in July special. Flohn will waive the setup charge on all orders placed before the end of July. Customers with holiday orders still can take advantage of this offer as long as they place those orders before August.

For more information about La Crema Coffee, visit the company's Web site.

PHOTO CREDITS
Photographer: Neysa Ruhl Photography
Model: Melissa Flohn
Makeup: Trina Paul, Saks Fifth Avenue
Location: The McAlpin

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