by Nancy Gardiner
Northern News Services

NNSL (Oct 22/97) - Brendan Bell banks his future and personal investment on bringing Seattle's Best coffee and quality service to Yellowknife residents.

Now he's won an award for his efforts.

"I'm excited about the award and trophy, especially from the point of view of being set up with a mentor, Gerry Avery, who will help me with advice over the next year, for a one-year period," said Bell.

"This is a big moment for me. It's only been a year (in business). It wouldn't have happened without my brother Adrian and my parents," he said Thursday from Toronto, where he is received the award.

The Business Development Bank of Canada has named the 26-year-old businessman the Young Entrepreneur Award recipient for the NWT.

Bell received the award in Toronto at a ceremony coinciding with the launch of Small Business Week. "We've expanded quickly because we provide quality, wholesome foods and service. The ambience is part of what we sell: we're smoke-free and our locations feature local art and handmade pottery mugs and latte bowls," said Bell.

"Our prices are a little higher but we've found people appreciate our commitment to providing a first-rate product."

The company plans to roast its own coffee in future.

"We're already negotiating to buy the equipment needed to make the next major step, said Bell.

"Javaroma is one of the few businesses in the NWT positioned to serve a growing market of people looking for gourmet coffee."

"This isn't something we would have expected to be doing a year ago really," said Bell's brother Adrian, who helped decorate the NorthwesTel Tower location and works at the coffee shop.

"It's just exploded and expanded this year. It's a side of him we've never seen because he's been in university the last few years. He's just really gung-ho, really enthusiastic, tenacious and willing to take on anything new."

Bell runs the two Javaroma locations in Yellowknife, as well as the L.A. cafe at the legislature, Heritage Cafe at the Prince of Wales museum and a concession at St. Pat's high school during lunch hours, which is a business-work experience project, said Adrian.

"And we've gone into office-catering lately," says Adrian. There's a lot of demand for it. "The only problem we have is having too many things at once and having to turn things down," Adrian added.