Crimson Cup Welcomes Crazy Llama Coffee in Webb City, Missouri
COLUMBUS, Ohio (PRWEB) January 24, 2019 -- Columbus coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea recently welcomed Crazy Llama Coffee to the group of independent coffee shops, cafés and bakeries it supports in 37 states. The shop at 1206 West MacArthur Drive in Webb City, Missouri is one of 16 new independent coffee shops that opened in 2018 through Crimson Cup’s 7 Steps to Success coffee shop franchise alternative program.
“We’re pleased to welcome Owners Randy and Stephanie Miller and their team to the Crimson Cup community,” said Founder and President Greg Ubert. “Helping entrepreneurs like Randy and Stephanie open their own distinctive independent coffee shops drives our success as a coffee roaster and coffee shop franchise alternative. We succeed only when our customers succeed.”
Before deciding to open a coffee shop, the Millers were both officers in the U.S. Navy. After their service careers, Randy worked as an engineer and plant manager in the manufacturing industry. Stephanie continues to work at Webb City High School.
The couple learned how to open a coffee shop through Crimson Cup’s 7 Steps to Success coffee franchise alternative program. Based on Ubert’s book, Seven Steps to Success in the Specialty Coffee Industry, Crimson Cup’s 7 Steps program has helped hundreds of independent coffee shops in 37 states open and stay and business.
"We saw a big need and a big void for a great coffee shop in the Northern Joplin, Webb City and Carl Junction area of Missouri,” said Randy Miller. “However, neither of us had coffee experience. To be successful, we knew we needed to find a great coffee supplier that would be a big hit with customers.”
Stephanie Miller said they found Crimson Cup via a Google search. “We ordered the 7 Steps book and read it the first night,” she said. “From there, we knew Crimson Cup was the right fit.”
As they worked through the 7 Steps, the couple found Step 1, “Focus on the Location,” most helpful in opening their coffee shop. “Finding the right location to be successful was extremely important,” Randy Miller said. “You only get one shot at it and it has to be right. Fortunately we found a great location with a drive-thru in an area that had a big need for specialty coffee.”
Crimson Cup assigns a 7 Steps trainer to guide the coffee shop owner and team through a successful opening. Following their trainer’s advice helped Crazy Llama Coffee set a Crimson Cup record for its grand opening. The team served nearly 2,000 drinks in a single day. “We would really like to thank our team of "llamaristas" that worked their tails off to make that happen,” Stephanie Miller said. “They kept plugging away even when the inside line was at the door and the drive thru line was at the parking lot entrance all day long.”
The couple credits Crimson Cup with a big contribution to their success. “Crimson Cup is part of our team,” said Randy Miller. “The expertise they provide is invaluable. If there is ever a question, they are there to answer it in a timely manner.”
Crazy Llama Coffee serves a full menu of hot, iced and frozen espresso drinks – including mochas, lattes and cappuccinos – as well as iced coffee and tea, cold-brewed coffee, hot chocolate, fruit smoothies and other custom drinks. The shop also serves Crimson Cup Nitro cold brew on tap. An assortment of breakfast burritos and baked goods rounds out the menu.
The signature Crazy Llama Mocha, which melds white chocolate and caramel sauces with espresso, has been a big hit with the Millers and their customers. Stephanie Miller also recommends the Jacked Up Llama, a frozen peanut butter mocha with protein powder.
She said local java lovers rave about the coffee, roasted by Crimson Cup. “Our customers say we have the best coffee in the four-state area,” she said. ”They can’t stop talking about our great coffee and nice atmosphere. People say it’s so much better than the coffee at large corporate chains!” The shop has a 4.9 rating on Facebook, with over 100 recommendations and reviews.
Crimson Cup coffee has been judged among the best in the nation. The roaster was named 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year by Roast magazine, the flagship publication of the specialty coffee industry. Its Ethiopian Kossa Kebena coffee won a 2017 Good Food Award and is a finalist for a 2019 Good Food Award. Crimson Cup coffees have also brought home trophies and medals from the America’s Best Espresso competition and Golden Bean North America roasting competitions.
When asked for advice for aspiring coffee shop owners, Randy Miller focused on his partnership with Crimson Cup. “Listen to the advice of Crimson Cup and don’t try to reinvent the wheel,” he said. “They have years of success and know what they’re doing. They want you to succeed as much as you do.”
About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is Roast magazine’s 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year. Since 1991, Crimson Cup has roasted sustainably sourced specialty and craft coffee in small batches, which it sells directly to consumers and as wholesale coffee beans. The company also teaches entrepreneurs to run successful coffee houses through its coffee franchise alternative program, which includes a coffee shop business plan. Crimson Cup coffee is available through a community of more than 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 37 states, Guam and Bangladesh, as well as the company’s own Crimson Cup Coffee Houses. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com.
Cheryl Claypoole, Crimson Cup Coffee and Tea, https://www.crimsoncup.com, 614-361-5023, [email protected]
Share this article