New York City is undoubtedly one of the coffee capitals of the world. With a seemingly endless number of options to choose from, it is hard to stand out and create something that makes people notice and even hard to keep their attention and patronage. Birch Coffee in NYC was founded with the intention to level up the hospitality and customer service one can expect in a coffee house and has been busy building and making this a reality since 2009. Today on Founder Friday we get to talk with the Co-Funder of Birch Coffee, Jeremy Lyman!
Jeremy Lyman is the co-founder of Birch Coffee, a New York City-based coffee company. Since its first store opened in 2009, the company has grown to become one of New York City’s premiere and most loved independent coffee shop chains. With more than a dozen locations throughout the city, the focus of Birch is on customer service.
Service is something Jeremy believed was lacking in the Specialty Coffee industry and being that both he and his partner Paul are consumers first and worked in bars and restaurants for years before, they realized that this was what was necessary to stand out in the industry. In order to grow the company, he has overseen the development of not only a high level of service, but methods in which to hone and develop those skills amongst his teams.
Jeremy, Paul, and their team have also figured out creative ways to stand out. From eliminating wifi and introducing conversation starters to designing extraordinarily unique napkins, they have caught the eye of the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and Forbes who have paid specific attention to these differentiators.
In this conversation we will not only her the story of Birch Coffee’s founding and growth but we will also be hearing about Jeremy’s journey as an owner through the years as he owns up about hard lessons, values, the impact of vulnerability, and what we considers the most valuable thing owners can focus on at any stage of their cafes development.
I loved this talk and was greatly moved by Jeremy’s honesty and candor. I hope you enjoy this episode but more than that I hope it helps inspire you to new levels of personal and professional excellence.
- Excellent customer service
- First steps and lessons learned early
- Overcoming arrogance
- What makes a great partnership
- Recovery and Vulnerability
- Being honest and self aware
- Making good decisions
- Healthy and unhealthy fear
- The vital role of feedback and observation
- Training baristas for real world scenarios
- Looking for the lessons in everything
- Advice for entrepreneurs
Links:
Email: Jeremy@birchcoffee.com
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177 : Founder Friday w/ Jonathan Pascual of Taproom Coffee and Beer in Atlanta, Georgia
228 : Cracking the Leadership Code w/ Alain Hunkins
181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge
145: Founder Friday w/ Red Rooster Coffee Roasters co-founder, Haden Polseno-Hensley
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