Coffee House Owners Learn About Industry Trends at Independents Day 2015

We were excited to welcome more than 40 coffee house owners and baristas to  Independents Day 2015. This annual event gives coffee house owners a way to connect, engage and grow with other coffee entrepreneurs. This year’s event took place at the Ohio State University Student Union.

A full day of programming was designed to reinvigorate the independent business spirit and provide insight into what’s new and what’s working in coffee shop operations. We  focused on developments in the coffee industry, craft coffees, new brewing methods and beverages, and coffee-house marketing and operations.

The day kicked off with an update from Founder and President Greg Ubert on Crimson Cup’s growth and innovations, including the January opening of our new 20,000-square-foot roasting headquarters, current construction of a state-of-the-art innovation and training laboratory, and recent opening of our first international coffee house in Bangladesh.

Next, Coffee Buyers Dave Eldridge and Brandon Bir shared anecdotes about recent travels to Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. Over the past year, they have traveled more than 10,000 miles to meet small-plot coffee farmers and find new coffees for Crimson Cup’s Friend2Farmer direct trade program.

During the break, attendees sampled our latest micro-lots of Ethiopian coffees prepared using hand-pour methods and as Nitro cold brew.

Customer Growth Specialists Jeremy Lowe and Jim Alley then led a two-hour presentation on coffee shop business planning. They demonstrated methods for sales forecasting and shared strategies to maximize profits and minimize waste.

Brandon led the group through an interactive coffee cocktail training course to teach owners how to create new, profitable drinks for the menu. Featured cocktails included lavender, chamomile and pure cane sugar. These cocktails are currently prepared at our Crimson Cup Coffee Houses in Clintonville and Upper Arlington. All attendees received a free Crimson Cup Shaker to begin creating their own custom cocktail drinks.

After lunch, 7 Steps Trainer Steve Bayless showed attendees how to create an annual coffee shop training plan.

Marketing Director Melissa Rogner then led presentations on mapping an annual marketing plan and innovations in driving sales and social awareness.

The day wrapped up with a question-and-answer period, during which coffee shop owners and our staff shared successes, problems and solutions.

The annual conference is just one of the benefits provided through our 7 Steps coffee franchise alternative program. Based on Greg’s book, Seven Steps to Success in the Specialty Coffee Industry, the program teaches everything an entrepreneur needs to run a specialty coffee business. The book includes a coffee shop business plan template, and Crimson Cup consultants assist customers with creating customized business plans.

To learn more about our 7 Steps program or to schedule an initial consultation, call 888-800-9224 or ask a question online.