37 min
A Strong Mission Is The Foundation of a Successful Coffee Shop #LocalBites
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- Entrepreneurship
Faith Lee and her husband opened Bird & Branch with the purpose of training employees who have historically had a hard time holding down employment. From never drinking coffee to opening Bird & Branch, this coffee shop is a culmination of hard work, compassion, and . Faith and her husband worked at several coffee shops to learn the ropes as baristas as well as the business side of things. Partnering with non-profit organizations, Bird & Branch trains employees to equip them with hard and soft skills that are transferable to other jobs in the food service industry. In addition to partnering with others in the community, Bird & Branch also supports a coffee roaster, St. Franks, who align with their vision and goals. Faith has been encouraging customers to try different origins and roasts, which has in turn created loyal customers who bring in their friends. Bird & Branch strives to be a haven for New Yorkers and tourists alike, as their goal is to be “a place to take a break”.
[00:00] Show intro
[00:26] Welcome to Faith Lee
[00:38] How did Bird & Branch come to be?
[03:27] The process of opening a brick and mortar store
[04:59] Mistakes from other people Faith learned
[07:13] The things Faith didn’t know when she opened
[09:09] Training program for new hires
[11:58] What does it mean to run with a mission for 5 years?
[13:34] Customer’s perception of Bird & Branch
[15:59] How does Bird & Branch source their coffee
[19:39] What are customer’s thoughts about the coffee selection?
[23:56] Building a loyal customer base
[27:01] A place to take a break: what does it mean?
[28:49] The business side of creating a restful space
[30:21] Challenges of running Bird & Branch
[33:48] Current challenges and future things
[35:11] Advice if other businesses wanted to do something similar
[36:54] Wrapping it up
Faith Lee and her husband opened Bird & Branch with the purpose of training employees who have historically had a hard time holding down employment. From never drinking coffee to opening Bird & Branch, this coffee shop is a culmination of hard work, compassion, and . Faith and her husband worked at several coffee shops to learn the ropes as baristas as well as the business side of things. Partnering with non-profit organizations, Bird & Branch trains employees to equip them with hard and soft skills that are transferable to other jobs in the food service industry. In addition to partnering with others in the community, Bird & Branch also supports a coffee roaster, St. Franks, who align with their vision and goals. Faith has been encouraging customers to try different origins and roasts, which has in turn created loyal customers who bring in their friends. Bird & Branch strives to be a haven for New Yorkers and tourists alike, as their goal is to be “a place to take a break”.
[00:00] Show intro
[00:26] Welcome to Faith Lee
[00:38] How did Bird & Branch come to be?
[03:27] The process of opening a brick and mortar store
[04:59] Mistakes from other people Faith learned
[07:13] The things Faith didn’t know when she opened
[09:09] Training program for new hires
[11:58] What does it mean to run with a mission for 5 years?
[13:34] Customer’s perception of Bird & Branch
[15:59] How does Bird & Branch source their coffee
[19:39] What are customer’s thoughts about the coffee selection?
[23:56] Building a loyal customer base
[27:01] A place to take a break: what does it mean?
[28:49] The business side of creating a restful space
[30:21] Challenges of running Bird & Branch
[33:48] Current challenges and future things
[35:11] Advice if other businesses wanted to do something similar
[36:54] Wrapping it up
37 min