Product Description

Witty, authoritative, comprehensive, informative and fun Wake Up and Smell the Profits is the ultimate guide to making more money in your coffee business. Here are the sharpest insights and the best ideas from two of the UK s top Coffee Business Gurus. Together The Coffeeboys have 40 years experience in how to make money in the coffee selling business. Whether you operate a single site Espresso Bar, a Michelin starred restaurant or a chain of hotels there is something in this book for everyone. With 52 motivating tips and suggestions (plus an extra bonus idea for good measure), all you need to do is apply one initiative a week for a year and you could have a much more profitable and easier to manage business within twelve months.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41024 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-01
• Binding: Paperback
• 127 pages

Review
A quite brilliant new book on cafe operation... A lot of mistakes are made by people who run coffee bars - and sometimes all of us are lucky enough to learn from those who have turned their mistakes into practical experience, such as in this exceptional new book from Ireland's 'Coffee Boys', John Richardson and Hugh Gilmartin. Ian Boughton - Coffee House Magazine --Ian Boughton - Coffee House Magazine

The hard work and pitfalls about profit from coffee are laid out in a quite exceptional new book from Ireland's Coffee Boys, enterpreneur John Richardson and supplier Hugh Gilmartin. In it they bring together their favourite stories and wake-up calls, from what has sometimes been hard-won experience. ...the most meaningful work on coffee retailing since Sahar Hashemi wrote about how she founded Coffee Republic. Caterer and Hotelkeeper magazine --Caterer and Hotelkeeper magazine

"A really fun read, full of proven ideas and sensible advice to make money but also enjoy your business at the same time. A must for anyone wanting to start a coffee bar and many operators would benefit from a read as well" Steve Penk - UK National Co-Ordinator & Director of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe --Steve Penk - UK National Co-Ordinator & Director of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe

About the Author
ohn Richardson and Hugh Gilmartin are two of the UK's top Coffee Business Gurus. Hugh Gilmartin runs Specialist Beverages one of the largest coffee supply companies in the UK. He is well known in international coffee business circles. He speaks at conferences in Europe and the US, and is a board member of The Speciality Coffee Association of Europe. John Richardson has owned and still is involved with some of the most successful sandwich bars, cafes and turn key consultancy projects in Ireland and is an expert in marketing, systems and financial business modeling. He currently spends most of his time helping his international client base increase their profitability in their coffee related businesses. Catch their daily comment on the world of coffee at thecoffeeboys blog.

Customer Reviews

Highly effective ideas
I'm not quite sure what the previous reviewers problem with this book is. Although obviously you can't be all things to all people one of the great aspects to this book is that it HAS lots of anecdotes in it. Most of the "52 ways" are accompanied with an anecdote that explains how they have either used the tip in their own businesses or with other peoples. For me that was the big benefit. In other words it's not just theory. It's lots of great ideas and concrete examples of how they actually work in real life.

I was given the book by my coffee supplier who challenged me to take just one or two concepts and apply them to my business. Needless to say, since we don't value anything that we don't pay for, it sat around unopened until he asked me what I had applied. Somewhat sheepishly I replied that I hadn't even read it yet! I then read it in one evening and have now changed several aspects of my business and plan to apply many more. I created a couple of star products and got all my team on board to explain to customers why we are so proud of them. Sales of these items have dramatically increased. I totally changed the customer flow within my business and had a enlightening meeting with my staff where I did the "muffin test" and discovered that most of them thought I was keeping approximately £500 out of every £1000 that goes in the till!

Highly recommended.

This book is my little "friend".
A little story (and stories sell as you'll find out from Hugh and Johnnie)

I decided, like so many wage-slave dreamers, to finally take the big step and set up my own coffee bar about two years ago. I bought all the slightly tedious books that were out there about setting up coffee shops and worked my way through them. I also pored through the various bits of "set up a business" guff from the banks and then read a few "Go on, you can do it..." motivational books.

Armed with a remortgage, a nervous wife, our savings and a healthy slice of naiveté I opened my coffee bar. None of the books that I read or indeed none of the advice I received was wrong - it just wasn't enough. It just didn't fully prepare me for how bloody hard it is to make money out there and how far from being the idyllic lifestyle and dream it actually is.

I lost a clean fortune in the first two years (well a fortune to me anyway) and gradually realised that this is pretty much exactly what everyone does. I then chanced upon this book by the Ireland's "Coffee Boys" after seeing them speak at a conference. It may not be filled with lots of plans or tedious checklists but these guys really, really know their stuff.

Suddenly it felt like it was all "okay". It felt like here were people who really knew what they were talking about. They had either personally owned or advised dozens of businesses. They hadn't just written a book based on one personal example or because they'd been to business school. They'd made all the mistakes and come out the other side battered and bruised but capable of knowing exactly what it takes to make money in this type of business - even if you have a Starbucks or a Costa opening up right beside you. And they wrote in a refreshingly honest and entertaining way.

So armed with my new "friend" I have set about restructuring my little business in a number of crucial ways. I have finally understood that it is "about the money" and not about ego as they keep emphasising. I have finally understood the importance of stars on the menu, telling stories, keeping my eyes on the costs (every pound isn't equal don't forget) and indeed how to avoid "sour faced hags" and the "Grannie rule".

I walk the shop every day like a customer and have my staff do the same. I now have spotless toilets and have totally changed my customer flow. It's all common sense really but you sometimes need a book like this to keep the common sense at the forefront of your mind and keep some perspective from the madness and claustrophobia of running a coffee bar.

So what's wrong with it? Well I wish it was longer and I wish they had maybe shown a couple of physical examples in the direct marketing section. I also wish they'd give a little more information on recruiting and retaining staff. That continues to be a huge issue for me. But I'm nitpicking really.

So if you currently own or are vaguely thinking of opening a coffee bar or any type of coffee shop you really should buy this. It could save you a lot of money. I only wish it had been out when I was first opening my shop.

Coffe Bar King and Golf Star?
I found John Richardson through his scratch2scratch blog. He accomplished something I, and many many
other golfers only dream of, to shoot a perfect round of golf. I have been reading his golf blog for some
time now and have been deeply affected by his insights and advice regarding not only golf, but life in
general. I read his coffee shop book, because living in Hollywood, California, I am also a driven coffeeholic! This is the land of the quadruple (and larger) espresso and we take coffee consumption VERY
seriously.

I read this book hoping to learn more about one of my favorite subjects (coffee) with no intention of
actually starting a coffee shop. What I found was a wealth of information about the coffee shop business
and SO much more! I am an entrepreneur and record producer and have had some pretty reasonable
success on MTV and in films and television. In the age of digital downloads and changing technology
there is one thing that is more important than most everything else - HAPPY CUSTOMERS! John
Richardson has (yet again) made it very clear that the basics to most ANY business is customer
satisfaction, and the tools and attitdue he puts forth in in Wake Up and Smell The Profit are the
fundametntal building blocks of ANY successful business. Not only is it a good read, but it could be
considered a handbook for any entrepreneur that needs a refresher course or a wake up call.
Thanks again to my favorite golf writer for more valuable information on business, life and of
course coffee! Make mine a quadruple!