Coffee shop ensures sailors get morning joe

By Jennifer Barnhill

A stateside couple recently treated Naval Air Facility, Atsugi sailors to a second shipment of fresh-roasted coffee as a thank you for their military service.

            The Jan. 19 arrival of the coffee was the brainchild of Margie and Joe “Coffee Guy” Parrillo, my mother and stepfather. The operators of Barbaric Bean coffee shop in Ocean Grove, N.J., believe, “Stale coffee should be a punishable crime.” Last year, after learning some Atsugi sailors would be spending Thanksgiving at sea, they started the S.O.S., or Save Our Sailors (from bad coffee), campaign.

            The Parrillos asked their customers via Facebook, their newsletter and face to face if they would be willing to donate a half or full pound of coffee to NAF Atsugi’s sailors, while they covered the cost of shipping.

            “This project came about as an extension of something we were already doing,” said Margie Parrillo. “We had sent coffee to a friend’s son, Joe Davies, who was stationed in Iraq. He was so appreciative that when he came back to the States he came and looked us up. So when we had an opportunity to give to the sailors in Japan we jumped on the chance.”

            On Dec. 10, just before Carrier Air Wing 5’s (CVW-5) homecoming, the Barbaric Bean sent each Atsugi squadron 1 to 2 pounds of fresh-roasted Guatemalan beans. 

            “It was wonderful, the variance of flavors was amazing,” said Lt. Joshua Jones, one of the many Strike Fighter Squadron 102 (VFA-102) sailors who enjoyed the coffee over the holidays. “It’s hard not to know when coffee is that good and fresh. I really appreciate it. I know all the guys did.”

            Since December, some squadrons have sent letters of thanks and memorabilia to the Bean, including a DVD of VFA-102’s summer tour, which the Parrillos have screened in their coffee shop. 

            “Our customers just love seeing the video and reading the letters” said Joe Parrillo. Reading from a thank you letter from Lt. Matt Brown, he continued, “If there is one thing that the Navy needs to operate, it’s coffee … many good thoughts (and productive mornings) were sent your way!”

            While people may be likely to donate a dollar or two to a cause, it takes a lot more to fork over $6 or $12 at a time. But the Bean’s customers just kept on giving, prompting the second shipment. According to Margie Parrillo, “The customers are not all wealthy, some are even on disability. They want to participate in something greater than themselves.”

            The Bean also encourages customers to write sentiment cards addressed to individual squadrons to include in the coffee shipments. Some cards encouraged sailors in CVW-5 to, “Keep up the good work and come home safe,” after their participation in the recent Keen Sword exercise that was widely publicized in the States. Others simply said, “Thank you for your service.”

            Margie Parrillo’s excitement via Skype was palpable as she described a handful of interactions with customers: “One lady heard about the program and came up to the counter in tears saying ‘my father was a vet and it’s so great that you’re doing this.’” Another customer, Sgt. Mauro Bacolo, a Vietnam vet and active reservist, “pounced on it and plunked his money down.”

            The marriage of coffee and the Navy goes back to 1914 when the phrase “cup o’ Joe” was born. According to the Armed Forces Network, sailors couldn’t get enough of the caffeinated beverage after alcohol was banned aboard ships. It’s poetic that a coffee shop owned by another Joe would give back to the U.S. military. The Parrillos hope to find an organization to help with future shipments.

            “It’s all about love. We wanted the military members to know that we love and care about them. This is just a small token of our appreciation,” said Margie Parrillo. 

            To learn more about the Barbaric Bean, visit <www.barbaricbean.com> or become their fan on Facebook.