The Village Brew Coffee House Opens in Piketon, Ohio through the 7 Steps to Success Coffee Shop Franchise Alternative by Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
The Village Brew Coffee House in Piketon, Ohio has joined the group of independent coffee shops supported by award-winning coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee and Tea. Now open at 425 East 2nd Street, the coffeehouse plans grand opening celebrations on March 30.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Whenever Piketon resident Jennifer Chandler travels for work or pleasure, she seeks out a local, independent coffee shop. With her opening of The Village Brew Coffee House, she hopes to wake up the local community – much like her own senses perk up with the first sip of coffee.
"I love the experience of enjoying a good pour over or a fantastically flavored espresso-based drink in a cool location, often in an old, restored building in the middle of a downtown," she said.
"Through The Village Brew Coffee House, I want to bring this experience to my hometown," she added. "My goal is to serve terrific coffee to a community that deserves the very best!"
She chose the former Piketon Elementary School on Second Street, now known as "The Square at Piketon," as the location. "I had visited so many independent coffee houses in super cool spaces and thought this was perfect!"
In addition to opening The Village Brew, Chandler serves on the Piketon Village Council and works as an independent project management consultant on development and environmental projects.
Despite her love for coffee, she lacked experience. "My grandfather owned a restaurant, and my dad owned a grocery store, so you could say food service is in my blood. But I needed to learn specialty coffee from the grounds up."
After exploring competing coffee consultants, she turned to nationally renowned roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea to learn how to open and run a successful coffee house in her local community.
She began by buying the book, "Seven Steps to Success: A Common-Sense Guide to Succeed in Specialty Coffee" by Crimson Cup Founder and President Greg Ubert. He first published the book in 2002 to help his then-struggling coffee house customers improve their profitability.
"We're honored that Jennifer chose Crimson Cup as her coffee partner," said Crimson Cup Founder and President Greg Ubert. "We're excited to help her achieve her vision for The Village Brew and to support her growth and success in the coming years."
Now in its second printing, Ubert's book is the foundation for Crimson Cup's 7 Steps to Success coffee franchise alternative program.
"Because we're not a franchise, customers like Jennifer are free to achieve their unique vision of a local coffee house that meets the needs of their community," Ubert said. "They don't have to go it alone, but they still call the shots!"
Over 150 entrepreneurs in 30 states have used this proven system to start independent coffee shops in their local communities.
Last year – despite challenging conditions during the pandemic -- the award-winning coffee roaster helped 19 entrepreneurs open new and thriving local coffee shops.
From writing a strong coffee shop business plan, to choosing equipment, designing the shop's layout and much more, Crimson Cup guides new coffee shop owners from initial concept through opening day and beyond.
Chandler said she was impressed by the book, the products that came with it, and the responsiveness of her 7 Steps consultants.
"The services offered by Crimson Cup reduced my fear of opening a coffee shop by myself," she said. "Crimson Cup lowered my risk by bringing so much experience to the table."
She especially appreciated Steps 2 and 3, which focus on choosing the right equipment and laying it out efficiently.
"Not knowing what I would need to run this business, I was especially grateful for the help with the layout and placement of everything within the space."
"They have gone out of the way to take care of me throughout the process and increase my understanding of the coffee business."
Her customers rave about the coffee, which is roasted by Crimson Cup.
"I keep hearing it's the best coffee they have ever had," she said. "People who have said they don't drink coffee are now in here three or four days a week!"
Over the past five years, the Columbus, Ohio roaster has won several national coffee awards – including a 2020 Good Food Award, which recognizes the best tasting, most responsibly sourced coffees in the United States.
Chandler said that while coffee is The Village Brew's focus, her goal of bringing something unique to the community doesn't end there.
"At The Village Brew Coffee House, we provide opportunities for youth entrepreneurs to launch small businesses, a platform for talented local artisans to sell their creations, and a place for socially conscious enterprises, community groups, nonprofits, and local charities to grow."
After talking to other independent coffee house owners, Chandler advises prospective owners to start with Crimson Cup.
"Begin by reading the 7 Steps book and then sign the agreements with Scott Fullerton," she said. "I have saved so much time and money with their input."
The 7 Steps program includes hands-on training in the customer's own coffee shop in the week leading up to opening. A Crimson Cup consultant returns to the shop to ensure a successful grand opening, which The Village Brew plans to hold on March 30.
"Crimson Cup takes care of the people they supply, and the drinks are amazing!" Chandler concluded. "The technical support and customer experience have been fantastic."
The Village Brew Coffee House is now open six days a week at 425 East 2nd Street in Piketon, Ohio. Regular hours are 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 12 pm. on Saturday. To keep up with events and announcements, follow the store's Facebook Page.
About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is a 2020 Good Food Award winner, 2019 Golden Bean Champion for Small Franchise/Chain Roaster and Roast magazine's 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year. Since 1991, Crimson Cup has roasted sustainably sourced craft coffee for consumers and wholesale coffee customers.
Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee franchise alternative program, the company teaches entrepreneurs to run independent coffee houses in their local communities. By developing a coffee shop business plan, entrepreneurs gain insight into how much it costs to open a coffee shop.
Crimson Cup also supports life-enriching projects through its Friend2Farmer™ initiatives, promoting the education, health, sustainability and economic growth of small-plot coffee farmers and their communities.
Crimson Cup coffee is available through over 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 30 states, Guam and Bangladesh. The company also operates several Crimson Cup Coffee Houses and a new Crimson retail flagship store. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com, or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.
Media Contact
Cheryl Claypoole, Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, 614-361-5023, [email protected]
SOURCE Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
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