Crimson Cup Celebrates Independent Coffee Shops at Annual Independents Day
Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) August 15, 2014 -- Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea recently celebrated the community of independent coffee house owners at its annual Independents Day. On Saturday, August 9, more than 70 coffee house owners and baristas from across the country gathered at Ohio State University’s Student Union in Columbus, Ohio to learn about the latest trends in specialty coffee.
“We sponsor Independents Day to give coffee house owners a way to connect, engage and grow with other coffee entrepreneurs,” said Crimson Cup Founder and President Greg Ubert. “This day refreshes and revives the independent business spirit and provides insight into what’s new and what’s working in nearly every aspect of coffee shop operations.”
The conference featured presentation by coffee house owners, Crimson Cup staff and outside experts on developments in the coffee industry, single-origin coffees, hand-pour brewing methods, coffee shop marketing and coffee house operations.
In a keynote address on the Service Profit Chain, Ohio State University Professor Michael Smith demonstrated how employee training and engagement drive customer loyalty in service businesses. Smith is director of the Initiative for Managing Services at Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business.
The day concluded with a forum for sharing experiences and solving problems and a Community Barista Throwdown. Participants from The Depot Coffee House, Court Street Coffee, Scioto Valley Coffee, Coffee Amici, Coffee Expressions and Java’s Cyber Espresso Bar each had 10 minutes to make three varieties of drinks, including single espresso shots, a traditional cappuccino and a signature beverage of their choice. Judges from Crimson Cup evaluated each drink and gave an overall score to each barista. When the scores were tallied, Katie Eresman from Coffee Expressions emerged as the winner. An Oscar Home Espresso Machine was donated by Nuova Simonelli as the grand prize.
The annual conference is just one of the benefits provided under Crimson Cup’s Seven Steps to Success coffee franchise alternative program. Based on Ubert’s book Seven Steps to Success in the Specialty Coffee Industry, the program teaches everything an entrepreneur needs to run a specialty coffee business.
“We offer everything a coffee shop franchise does – and more – but without franchise fees, royalties or business restrictions,” Ubert said. “Our program covers all the bases, from choosing a location to hiring and training your staff, setting business hours and much more. Plus, we offer ongoing support to make sure our customers keep growing.”
The coffee franchise alternative includes comprehensive training, marketing materials, menu ideas and much more – all designed to help reduce costs, increase profits and eliminate potential headaches.
“We’re proud to support over 200 coffee shop owners across the country,” Ubert said. “In the past year alone, more than 15 independent coffee houses have joined our community.”
To learn more about Crimson Cup’s Seven Steps program or to schedule an initial consultation, call 888-800-9224 or visit the Crimson Cup website.
About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
Since 1991, Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea has hand-roasted specialty coffee in Columbus, Ohio and taught independent business owners how to be successful through its coffee shop franchise alternative program. Sustainably sourced Crimson Cup coffee is available through a network of more than 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 28 states, as well as the company’s own Crimson Cup Coffee House in the Columbus suburb of Clintonville. For more information, visit crimsoncup.com.
Cheryl Claypoole, Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, http://www.crimsoncup.com, +1 (614) 361-5023, [email protected]
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