Barista Magazine

JUN-JUL 2014

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Joseph explains why Husky Grind has seen success so early on in its 18 months of operation: "It allows us to holistically define the coffee environment around here. Seattle and the U of W have a unique culture and customer base that generally wants to be more informed about what they're getting and where it comes from. This is a great niche for us to kind of break out into," he says. Just because a café has the resources and the green light to carve out a unique path, however, doesn't necessarily mean cus- tomers will be knocking down the door for a cup of great coffee. Developing a clientele still takes time and plenty of persistence. "Coffee is an interesting business, since the idea of drinking your morning cup is an enjoyable daily ritual as much as it is a means to wake up and get going," Joseph says. "Changing peo- ple's tastes and perceptions can be a difficult affair." "After they get to know the staff and taste the coffee, those perceptions are altered," says Kathleen Hartsfield, a barista supervisor at Barefoots Joe. "People get used to our coffee and then go to Starbucks or other shops in Jackson and realize we're doing something different at Barefoots." The third-wave cafés that do exist on college campuses are still in the infancy stage when compared with the specialty-cof- fee industry as a whole. Though programs can look to their off-campus counterparts for guidance, the fact remains that there are still plenty of glaring differences and a multitude of questions to answer. For instance, how will these cafés deal with turnover? While many cafés can offer employees a chance to climb the ladder, the "lifespan" of an on-campus barista position is on average only a couple of years. How do you train and invest time and resources into a person that will only be with you for a few semesters at best? How do you market to a clientele that is not only unaware of your existence, but is surrounded by a world of new distrac- tions such as taking college courses, meeting new friends, and living away from home for the very first time? "One aspect about this job that motivates me, and yet also has its challenges, is that some of these students haven't held jobs before; so I see this as opportunity to help them shape their own work ethics," Joseph says. "It buoys me to see them develop and become sharper in their work styles and more attentive to assisting one another." This is where the education and training aspect of these programs once again looms large. Husky Grind, for instance, recently saw its student coordinator find work at a prominent Seattle roaster, thanks to the training and experience she gained during college. Even students who go on to work outside of the café industry will often look back on their role as barista, roaster, or manager and recognize the time spent in the café as a pivotal moment in their professional lives. "I think for any leadership role that I'm poised to move into, my experience with Roasted will be invaluable," says cofound- er, Nick Pochiba. " You cannot teach me anything like that in a classroom." Though some students have moved on and are now finding success beyond college, the challenges of running the café per- sist for the next wave baristas and supervisors. Branding, mar- keting, and advertising—all essential components of running a successful business—become a bit trickier when not just the needs of the café, but also the desires, demands, and limitations of a university system are factored in. How can an establishment that is owned by or in some way affiliated with an institution of higher learning uniquely brand and market itself in a way that sets it apart from the school's other dining options? The answer usually involves finding a niche not served elsewhere on campus. Maybe you become the only slow bar students have access to, or perhaps you distinguish your space as an art and entertainment hub for student socialization and creativity. Or, in the case of Roasted, you specifically design a café that allows students to utilize their core fields of study to enhance the business. "For example, as an accounting major, I was able to go in and do the bookwork all myself; do the financial planning, make a budget," says Nick. "I was literally applying what I was learn- ing in the classroom to real-world situations. If you're taking marketing or an operations class, the theories and principles you learn, you'll implement while working at the coffee shop." Roasted is unique in that while technically it is a part of "I was literally applying what I was learning in the classroom to real-world situations." 75 www.baristamagazine.com B o o k 4 7 - 9 2 . i n d d 7 5 Book 47-92.indd 75 5 / 1 5 / 1 4 1 0 : 4 6 P M 5/15/14 10:46 PM

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