Coffee Wars - Free Excerpt # 4
Coffee Wars - Chapter Two, Part Two
When April returned from her pee break, Christina took her drink and sat at one of the tables close to where Robert and Keith were talking. It turned out Keith was doing most of the talking. Robert was just nodding a lot.
“So, we talked about not stacking the cups too high and having each station stocked appropriately,” Keith told Robert. “As Expresso’s district manager for the Orlando area, it’s my job to ensure all area Expresso shops follow Expresso’s national standards. Robert, I know you’re new to management, so I’m going to go over those standards until you get it.”
Keith pointed to the cash register area. “I see a problem over here.” He walked over and picked up a plastic bin holding a bunch of pens. “You can’t have this in view of the customers.”
Robert hovered at his shoulder. “But we need them to mark the cups.”
“Well, okay. What you can do is take this little guy.” Keith dumped the pens out of the plexiglass cube. “Pour some espresso beans in it and stick the pens in that.”
“Wow. That’s a really good idea.”
Christina watched as Keith rolled his eyes out of Robert’s view. When Robert turned toward him again, Keith blanked his face. “That way,” Keith continued without missing a beat, “The customers will see and smell the espresso beans instead of seeing a plastic bin scarred with marker and pen marks.”
“Right. Got it.” Robert took the cube and filled it with espresso beans. Then he stuck the pens back inside exactly as instructed.
“Yeah,” Keith said. “It’s all about the coffee. The customers should see and smell it everywhere as soon as they walk in. That’s why the baristas aren’t allowed to wear nail polish or gaudy jewelry or perfume. Their hand lotions shouldn’t have a strong scent either. Nothing should overpower the sight and smell of our coffee.”
“Right. Got it,” Robert said.
Keith let out a sigh as he scanned the shop. “You’re busy. That’s good. Has it been like this since Monday?
“Yes. Especially in the mornings.”
“Then it’s extra important to keep the drink prep times at or under three minutes.” Keith examined the prep area behind the counter. “It looks like the hot beverage station is getting backed up. Who’s the barista working it?”
Robert stood on tiptoes to see past Keith’s shoulder. “That’s April. She worked at May’s across the street before coming here. She’s got lots of experience.”
“I saw her run to the restroom just a little while ago. Now her station is backed up. Mention to the baristas that they should visit the restroom right before the start of their shifts to reduce the number of unscheduled breaks. They should be able to go at least eight hours without peeing.”
“I’ll tell them.”
“Good,” Keith said, reaching for his briefcase. “Everything looks good. I’ll check back with you in a few weeks. Just remember those standards. And remember, secret shoppers come in once a month to judge the products and services. My goal and yours is to get a Five Star from those secret shoppers every time.”
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