THE GENTLEMEN BARISTAS
Tell us how you created The Gentlemen Baristas? What kind of processes did you go through?
We looked at other operators, their offer, the service and ambience and just thought what can we do to be kinder. Not pretentious but friendly...
And there you have it, well-mannered coffee was born!
What is the story behind the name The Gentlemen Baristas?
Basically manners, they are so important, a thank you, a hello, a goodbye costs nothing, yet how often do you walk into a shop and are not even acknowledged. No hello, no goodbye? That’s why we really try and focus on this as part of our offer to the people that walk into our coffee houses.
What was the most challenging thing whilst you were establishing The Gentlemen Baristas?
Spreading the word, it’s amazing how suspicious people are of new shops and their offer. We gave free coffee away for our first two days when we opened the coffee house and literally couldn’t give it away!
“Free coffee sir?”
“What’s the catch?”
“No catch”
Every new site we open has a free coffee day the first day they open their doors.
What is your most popular drink?
Flat white (But filter is growing in popularity too, which is really exciting).
All of your 10 stores are around London. Is there any specific reason why? Or are you planning to expand outside of London in the future?
We started in Southwark, we like it around there, opportunities came up and we don’t regret any. London is where we are based, it’s where the roastery is, it’s where our friends in the industry are too. That said we do plan to branch out, we have our eyes set outside of our capital. The UK has some amazing cities with wonderful cultures and identities, so absolutely let’s give them some well-mannered coffee!
Which three traits do you look for when you are hiring team members?
A love of coffee.
Personality.
A conversation.
You also provide courses to people who wants to know more about coffee or want to start their own journey in the industry. How did you come up with this idea?
Well, Ed and I both worked for a large coffee company before setting up The GBs. We met so many people with questions on how they could provide a better offer. How their team could be better. So from day one we decided training would be provided for free and to this day we still do not charge. We decided we should go that extra mile and as such offer advice to anyone asking.
We constantly help people to open new sites and realise their vision. Now that could be as little as recommending equipment, or coffee or perhaps design or the business plan itself.
We also offer courses to the general public which is becoming increasingly popular. We have quite a selection of courses now, from brewing at home or the office to masterclasses in latte art and coffee cocktails. I’m very, very lucky that all of the GB team enjoy teaching and relish the chance to teach others. So a chance to share that love of the industry is very rewarding.
You started a project called ‘used coffee for garden’, do you have any other upcoming ideas like this?
It was used Coffee grounds actually, which are high in nitrogen, perfect for the garden but not indoor plants as it attracts flies. For us, it’s a waste product so if we can give it away for free instead of throwing it away! Yes we do and it involves alcohol, a little project we’re working on, top secret! Shhhh! Mums the word.
You have good content on your social media channels. How important do you think this is in the coffee industry?
Thanks very much. Really important, for us Instagram, for example, is a huge marketing tool. It not only shows current customers our other shops but people all over the world. More than this we can introduce our team, our products, it’s not all coffee!
As a business partner of the Magic Stamp, how do you think it has helped/supported your business?
It’s great, quick and easy. Back in our first three years we had cards and each site had loads. The coffee house had four albums full at one stage. Customers are always misplacing their card or losing them so this is ideal. Customers love it!