Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
Issue link: http://freshcup.epubxp.com/i/66983
tors. Justice says he emphasizes a few major areas in managing employee education as well as team execution. "We want our people to engage, educate and empower our customers," he says. "We strive for consistency. And we always want to be better." In addition to the new pour-over bar, the shop has recently added more single-origin coffees roasted specifically for espresso. It's a commitment Davis says has come a long way from Brioso's early days, when food sales actually outpaced coffee sales at a two-to-one ratio. That equation has flipped in recent years, he says, with retail coffee and bar sales now the dominant driver of business. The year-to-year numbers are exciting too. Davis says he has witnessed a major growth spurt nearly annually, with retail sales growing between 40 and 50 percent every year. An exception came during the economic downturn that began in the fall of 2008. Otherwise, Café Brioso has evolved through hard work and an ongoing investment in quality and staff training, as well as an acute understanding of area customers. (Food remains a big draw for workers from neighboring downtown offices, and some are now discovering coffee in new ways.) Meanwhile, Davis believes his sourcing and roasting craft has advanced. He says Justice's leadership has helped take coffee quality and an education- focused retail strategy to new levels. Justice points to a special coffee sampling event in March at the city's public market. Billed as the North Market Coffee Roast, the occasion drew a dozen area roasters and more than double the number of attendees originally expected by organizers. Perhaps most important was the opportunity for collaboration and com- munity among coffee professionals showcasing their work. "It showed me again how engagement is a key thing for us," Justice says. "Every day we look at worker relationships on our team. We look at how we engage with our customers. We also work to set boundaries with customers. What is our focus in every relation- ship we build? What are the long-term yields we can build on today? Those are important questions we have to ask." More changes are coming, Davis says, including an invest- ment in a new point-of-sale system that creates greater sales efficiency. He and Justice are also developing their vision for continued on page 70 Fresh Cup Magazine 69