About Cafe Evoke Catering

    Café Evoke Catering is Oklahoma's premier specialty coffee catering company.

    Complete menus and information kits are available for download at CafeEvoke.com. Please feel free to email us through our website or call 405-606-2200 if you have any questions about incorporating a full service specialty coffee bar for your next special event or for your office.

    Thank you for choosing a Fair Trade coffee catering company. We look forward to a long friendship.

    ..be bold (Oh, and tell your friends!)

Associations

Friday, October 13, 2006

The excitement of it all...

I have said (and heard from others) that no one is as excited about your business as you are. But does this mean that the people who you work with and maybe for you are not going to be as excited about their jobs, the product, the customers?

I like to think that those who might work with Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering or Cafe Evoke (the coffee house) in the future will be excited about the product and the process. It is always hard for me to believe that people who work in coffee do not love it, live it, and otherwise crave for it. The art of the process and the excitement from the customer after receiving her drink is what I wake up for. How do we pass that joy along to our employees?

I was talking with some friends a few days ago and they were telling me about a staff meeting they recently had at their shop. The two managers are in the zone and loving the industry and everything about it. They have great ideas for the future and are super excited about what it holds for them, their employees, and the shop. As they were telling everyone about their plans and what is going on, they were greeted by blank faces. Not many were really excited about anything other than receiving their paychecks.

Here is what I think..

1. Send them to trade shows (build it in the budget)
2. Bring in trade magazines to your shop
3. Host a jam or competition
4. Get everyone in your shop signed up with The Barista Guild of America
5. Show them the film "A Passionate Harvest"
6. Bring in speakers from the industry
7. Have contests where each barista can submit a "specialty drink" of their own creation. The winner's goes on the menu for a period of time.

There are so many great things about the industry -- there should be no problem getting excited. But it is apparent that not everyone sees this business as a lifestyle but merely as a paycheck.

...be bold

...a thought by Cafe Evoke Catering at 10/13/2006 09:53:00 AM

Comments on "The excitement of it all..."

 

Blogger Nick and Kris said ... (10/13/2006 06:39:00 PM) : 

I like all of the ideas, especially the one about sending them away for a trade show. When my job sends me away, I always return with a renewed passion for the work.

I was trying to brainstorm for you - maybe you can contact some loyal customers designate a certain day as "Barista Appreciation Day" (w/o telling the workers). It will probably only work with very loyal customers, but I think they'd be willing to sign a card or something.

~Kris

 

Blogger Jason Duncan said ... (10/16/2006 10:27:00 AM) : 

Hey Kris,

I think that is a great idea for shops. Along the lines of what you mentions is something I read in this months issue of Barista Magazine.

They suggest an in-store (or between two stores) "competition" in which each barista pulls drinks and the customer's judge.

I like the way all of that sounds.

Thanks for writing and good luck with your music!

..be bold

 

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