Recent content by OzarkB

I'm looking for ideas on how to keep your Baristas from burning out. We've noticed that after about nine months, our morning Baristas will start to suffer from burnout. We have a morning "back-up" Barista (either myself, my husband or another Barista) so no one has to handle the morning rush by...

I'm wondering if there's a standard valuation method for a drive-thru espresso business (multiple locations). I saw someone post that for a successful coffeehouse with 20-25% margins, it's standard to ask half your annual gross sales. (Although that seems like a bargain to me.) Assuming that...

Dear ShopWanter - What someone has tried to advise you about when they tell you that you need 6-12 months of payroll is something called Working Capital. I'm not sure what the statistics are to back this up, but one of the main reasons that businesses go by the wayside as quickly as they do...

Is anyone aware of a report (from a reputable source) about the affects of caffeine on shopping behavior? In particular, I'm looking for research that supports the notion that shoppers are more likely to spend time in a store - and thus purchase more - if they're sipping a latte while they shop...

Well, 'tis the season (almost), and I've been thinking about what special drinks to feature for fall/winter. It seems like the staples are a must -- eggnog lattes, pumpkin spice lattes, gingerbread lattes, peppermint mochas, etc. But I thought I'd ask if anyone has any great ideas, or resources...

I'm assuming that you've already checked with the city building codes and state health codes to see what's allowed. That said, we went with a contractor. We ended up spending more than we would have liked for our first structure, then stayed within budget on our second. We didn't even consider...

My husband and I recently moved from Seattle to Bentonville, Arkansas where we've opened two drive-thru espresso locations. The first one is about nine months old and is really starting to hit its stride. The second one just opened and we're starting the whole process of building a customer base...

We are about a year into a similar venture in NW Arkansas (Bentonville). My husband and I moved here from Seattle about a year ago, and opened two drive-thrus. After almost nine months, the first one seems to have passed a hurdle and is consistently doing well. Our second location is only two...