For some time I’ve been interested in all the choices operators make in positioning their independent coffee businesses, why they make those choices, and the impact those factors have in the success or failure of the venture, and how all that contributes to the experience of the customer on the other side of the register.
I’ve begun re-reading the seminal book written by Brian Harmon, founder of Dublin’s 3fe Coffee, What I Know About Running Coffee Shops1, to get a little more focus in those thoughts. I also decided the best way to learn more would be to ask the people who actually have to make those decisions, and what they themselves have learned along the way.
I’ll soon post the initial effort in what I hope will become a series of interviews with people running coffee businesses, which for lack of a better title I’m calling The Decision Makers. I really enjoyed putting together the first go of it, and I hope you’ll enjoy reading it.
- The book in physical form is really expensive (€30 or more in Ireland, and a hell of a lot more to get your hand on a copy in the US). It’s a bit more reasonably priced (though still not cheap) with the Kindle app, but either way I think it’s worth every penny ↩︎
