Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 457: Finding Your Place in Coffee w/ John Luke Robertson | Kings Lane Coffee
John Luke Roberston is the founder and roaster at Kings Lane Coffee in West Monroe, LA. You may be familiar with the TV show Duck Dynasty that follows the lives of John Luke's family and their duck call business, Duck Commander. As John Luke grew and pursued his education, he developed a love for coffee and charted his own course by diving straight into owning and running a multi-cafe and coffee roasting business, Railway Coffee. I was honored to get to consult and coach him through the beginnings of this venture and over many years Railway continued to offer great coffee and service through its shops and roasting business, even expanding to a mobile trailer.
Eventually as life changed, John Luke sold the business but kept roasting and is now pursuing roasting and collaborative prjects through Mapmaker Coffee. Most recently collaborating with the family business and releasing a coffee that quickly sold out.
This is a great conversation detailing an intense and immersive experience entering into the coffee industry and finding a place in roasting, and learning incredibly valuable lessons about coffee, management, business, and connecting with people along the way.
We cover:
- Consistency as key in the specialty coffee industry, and importance of training staff
- Seeking help and delegating responsibilities
- Focusing on your strengths and prioritizing your time.
- Expanding to a mobile operation
- Logistical and management challenges
- Public attention and social media following do not always translate into increased sales
- Why building a loyal customer base is most important
- Roasting coffee offers the opportunity to create unique blends and collaborate with others to meet different customer preferences.
Links:
Related episodes:
- 412 : Founder Friday! w/ Lem Butler and Kyle Ramage of Black and White Coffee Roasters
- 295 : Founder Friday! w/ Justin Shepherd of Spencers Coffee, Bowling Green, KY
- 217 : Should you roast your own Coffee w/ Joe Marrocco of List & Beisler
- 196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano Transcript
- ROR #23 : How to Close the Industry-Consumer Flavor Gap w/ Phil Beattie, Dillanos Coffee Roasters
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