We're honored to be featured in Forbes for our next big step—from the shores of the Outer Banks to new communities. This article, written by journalist Gary Stern, highlights Front Porch Café’s evolution, values, and our journey into franchising. We're proud to share it with you here in full.

After 26 Years, Front Porch Café Moves Beyond North Carolina’s Outer Banks

By Gary Stern,

Published Jul 09, 2025, 08:56am EDT, Updated Jul 09, 2025, 03:39pm EDT

Debuting in Kill Devil Hills in 1999 on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, known for its beautiful beaches and seaside areas, Front Porch Café grew to four coffeehouses all in proximity including Nags Head (2005), Manteo (2010) and Kitty Hawk (May 2025). But now owners Laura and Phil Wayland, who acquired it in 2021 from its original owners Paul Manning and Susanna Sakal who retired, are going beyond the Outer Banks when it starts franchising in Raleigh this summer.

The Wayland’s owned a wine and beer store next door to Front Porch’s Kill Devil Hills location so they were well-versed with the business. They secured a commercial loan from a local bank to capitalize the purchase.

After acquiring it, the couple didn’t make any changes immediately, preferring to get to know the business from the inside. Once they did, they changed how its suppliers operated, preferring that they deliver directly to each location.

It’s a Feeling About the Front Porch

Even its name Front Porch Café conveys something about its ethos and why it stayed rooted in the Outer Banks for over 25 years. Laura Wayland (all future quotes are from her) says its name Front Porch Café suggests “where people gather, unwind and connect. That’s the energy we bring into every cup of coffee we serve.”

It’s All About Proximity

Its four coffeehouses are all a short drive away from each other, only separated by 5 to 10 miles apart. “Staying local allows us to maintain quality, share resources and staff, and keep logistics lean,” Wayland notes. Moreover, she adds that coffee is a “daily ritual and people won’t drive far for it.”

Now that it’s expanding, Wayland notes that it’s “building our systems for scale which will allow us to grow into new areas while still utilizing our supply chain.”

A Streamlined Menu

Front Porch Café has always tried to keep its menu simple. It offers “bagels, muffins and scones so the coffee can shine,” Wayland notes. “It also allows us to stay efficient and focused on quality.”

Even though it kept its menu streamlined, it has continually updated its technology to keep pace. Wayland says, “We modernized everything, from replacing an outdated Access-based POS (Point of Sale) system, redoing the website, to launching a custom-branded app and automating our roasting profiles for consistency and quality.”

It offers 10 to 15 signature coffee blends and rotates 15 to 20 single origin coffees, which are produced at its Kill Devil Hills location. It also has several revenue streams including selling its coffee beans in its stores, online, in local Outer Banks grocery chains, and at restaurants. It also has a long day since all 4 locations are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. 7 days a week.

Wayland says that 90% of its revenue stems from the retail locations, and 5% from selling wholesale to restaurants, and 5% from shipping beans online.

It started on a small scale. In fact, its original location in Kill Devil Hills occupied only 800 square feet, without any seating, and the coffee was roasted adjacent to the cash register. After a series of renovations, that location has expanded to 2,400 square feet and still serves as its roasting headquarters.

After its first franchise opens, the two owners will be scouting for new locations in Virginia and along the N.C. coast.

Besides Front Porch Café, the Wayland’s also own four olive oil stores including Outer Banks Olive Oil. Wayland said she once merged the brands when she added a Front Porch coffee branch at one of its olive oil stores before they bought it.

The couple owns Front Porch out right, without any partners or investors, a rarity these days. In running the business, Laura Wayland focuses on employees, brand growth, leadership and culture, and Phil Wayland serves as head of roasting and handles all technological issues.

Timing Was Ripe to Franchise

Wayland says the timing was right to franchise because it had “strong systems in place, a loyal following and years of consistent growth.” Many customers who were tourists kept asking when were they going to expand to their area. Moreover, Raleigh is close enough, about 3.5 hours away, that it can still tap the same suppliers.

The Wayland’s also participated in The Blox, which is airing on Facebook through its app, which taught them some things about franchising and branding and got the word out about their franchising efforts.

About franchising, they started with a franchising company, but now are doing it on their own. Wayland says “franchising can be hard and expensive.” She points to a series costs including hiring a trademark attorney and franchise attorney, investing in legal documents, and hiring new staff to get franchise leads.

A year from now, Wayland expects that it will have opened another Front Porch location, or maybe even two. “We don’t want to grow too quickly but not too slowly either,” she states.

Asked the 3 keys to its continued success, Wayland replies: 1) Creating a community in each café, 2) Streamlining finances to ensure profitability, 3) Creating a positive culture where employees want to work.

This article was originally published by Forbes  on July 9, 2025. Written by Gary Stern. Shared here with full credit to the original author and publication.