Specialty Coffee Retailer is a publication for owners, managers and employees of retail outlets that sell specialty coffee. Its scope includes best sales practices, supplies, business trends and anything else to assist the small coffee retailer.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/73257
point to be there for the music, Cooney says: "Th ere's a core of people who come in every single week" for it. Cooney and his wife, Janice, run the Many of the shop's regulars make it a lose sight of what we are. We're a coff ee shop fi rst," he says. "During the day, it's a place to do business, read a book, get on the computer. 8-year-old, 2,200-square-foot shop in Chelan, Wash., a town of about 4,000 people. Th e Vogue sits on Main Street in a century-old red brick building near the shore of a 55-mile-long lake. Th e road stretches through a pedestrian- friendly historic area, across the street from a home decor shop and next door to a Mexican restaurant. Live music is a rare commodity, not only in Cooney's quiet town, but in the rest of the county. "It doesn't seem to be a growing industry. It's being replaced by machines, for little expense, because they don't pay the musicians. Instead, they collect tips for the band, and they make money from the added beverage sales the band's crowd generates. Th is way, Cooney doesn't have to collect a cover charge. "If we put a person at the front door collecting a cover charge, we' crowd," he says. d probably have a pretty weak well as coff ee, it welcomes all ages until closing time at 10 p.m., which is unique for a small music venue. Th is brings in a more family-oriented clientele, Cooney says. "You can be 8 or 88 and be in our shop, Th ough the shop serves wine as amuse the regulars, the owner says. It's his passion. "I'll tell you why I do it: because I wanted to do it," he says. "I love live music." It also helps his shop achieve part of Music is more than a clever way to " Cooney says. its mission goal, to be a meeting place for the community. "Th e benefi t for the small town is, it's the valley's gathering place, it has yet to be a problem. "Th ere is never drunk people, never any belligerence, he says. He avoids this by keeping the coff eehouse atmosphere, which chases off the bar crawler types. "We never Even though the shop serves alcohol, " " he says. Th e shop is able to put on the shows " he says. runs the business. Many people come in, enjoy the music, and never give a tip to the musicians. "Th e same people come in again and again and never put anything in, " he says. NORTHEAST C����� B� D����� Freeport, Maine success of live music, according to Mary Allen Lindemann, the co-owner of Coff ee By Design. Her shop takes up a space in the Th e setup of a shop is vital to the L.L.Bean, a massive sporting goods store that's open 24 hours a day in Freeport, Maine. Lindemann, who runs the shop with her husband, Alan Spear, moved into the space three years ago, but the couple opened their fi rst shop in Portland, Maine, 18 years ago. Th ey found out at their fi rst shop that the layout of the space can mean life or death for a coff eehouse owner's live music plans. "We had tried music years ago… the only place for the performers to set up was near the service counter. Th e problem arose when a barista needed to use the loud espresso machine. "When you're making drinks, it but our space wasn't set up for it," Lindemann says. Th e suite was long and narrow, and evening, when it's needed most. "For us, evening business is typically our slower time, so to have that many people walk through the door was very exciting, she says. Live music has a few drawbacks. " Th e shows add a layer of bureaucracy for the managers. Th ey have to get each show OK' can be a task. Luckily, Lindemann has a manager who is also a musician. He organizes all the shows. "I asked him to fi nd a few bands," Also, rounding up the performers d by L.L.Bean. Lindemann says. "A few days later, he came back with a schedule for the next two months. the process, and she recommends doing the same for other coff eehouse owners. "I' Th at has taken the headache out of " d say you need to get a musician involved," she says. superstore, on the other hand, is big, and the performers can sit far from the service counter. "Th e espresso bar's wasn't conducive to performances," she says. Th e shop owner told baristas to refrain from using the espresso machine during performances, but then few people bought beverages, slowing business. Th e performances were bad for business because of it, so they stopped, Lindemann says. Th e new space in the L.L.Bean SOUTHWEST W�����'� C���������� Reno, Nevada with out-of-towners, resulting in a big business boost, says Matt Alioto, the manager of Walden's Coff eehouse. Th e shop sits on McCarran Boulevard, a long road that circles the Live music can pack the house July 2012 • www.specialty-coffee.com | 33 performance in June, and more than 100 people showed up. Th is gave a big business boost in the far enough away that we can give full service during performances." Th e coff eehouse had its fi rst Th ere is a downside to the way he "