Like any other job, I started out doing dishes, taking orders, and making French presses. Then, over the years, I worked my way up through the roles. Eventually, Zumbar Coffee and Tea opened a second location, here in Cardiff, and I moved to this location when it opened. The staff and I at the time were seasoned and we didn’t require a manager, but as business increased it became necessary and the owner saw me fit for the role. I managed Zumbar Coffee and Tea in Cardiff for eight years.

In the last two to three years, I had thought a lot about what opportunites were out there for me. However, with most businesses, especially small ones, there was a ceiling to how far I could grow. I never thought of owning this space as an option. I talked with people, looked at other places, and began to understand from developers what it would cost to do something like this. I thought about it so often, that I knew that I had to find a way to do it. I was motivated by what I had seen around me, friends opening their own businesses, and I had a desire to challenge myself in the same way.

I had many conversations with Steve, the owner of Zumbar Coffee and Tea, on how we could expand or collaborate on certain ideas, and for some reason I think the timing worked out. I asked if it would be possible for me to purchase this location, to see if that could even be an option, and he said, Okay, throw some numbers together. I thought, Okay??

Once it was clear that I could take over the location, I became ecstatic because I had spent so much time in this community, and there was already a great deal of support. It was hugely motivating for me to feel the love from guests once I began to tell them, and to realize that they would support it even more now. It was exactly the challenge that I had been looking for.

The initial challenge was to understand the side of the business that I was virtually unfamiliar with. Everything from taxes, permits, employee policy, and how to introduce a formality to how we run the business. There was a lot to learn and thankfully I was able to lean on my financee, Wednesday, for a lot of the heavy lifting. I want the staff to appreciate that they are part of a serious company, however small, and that we take them seriously as well. In order to do that, we felt that we had to be as polished as we could be, to retain and attract the right people.

Also, there was the learning curve to tackle numbers; sales, costs, labor, rent, and everything associated with running a business. Fortunately, we were taking over an already successful business, but that also meant there was still going to be a line out the door while we figured these things out. 

I felt pressure that if we didn’t do a good job, guests would fade away. From day one, we had to do it well. For that reason, much of my attention was toward the guests and the team, and how to create a buzz about the new sign on the door. Over time, it worked out in a cool way where Wednesday was able to leave her job and work here full time. So now, we’re really doing this together, which is amazing.

Being the owner, I want to lead by example and motivate the team by working hard. With that being said, because it is such a small team, to not be on, or to have an off day, can feel pretty selfish. 

Everyone is human, so we are going to have days when we are more tired than others, or not as into it. I always try to keep the team morale very high, to keep in mind that in order to motivate people to work hard, everyone has to be on the same page, including myself.

If the person next to them is not, then they might get frusturated. For me personally, when that happens I don’t feel like I need a vacation to refresh, but rather that I need to find something new to work on, something exciting to stay motivated by. 

This could be a design that Zach and I come up with, or a new drink or food recipe that I nerd out on. Being competitve in nature, there is also the aspect of conquering something which keeps me motivated, like an overwhelmingly busy service, fixing something when it breaks, or simply working closely with the team to run the business well. 

Nowadays,  I am most interested in the customer experience. What is it like when someone walks in for the first time? What does it look like? What does it sound like? What are they thinking as they leave? I appreciate being able to experience something for the first time, especially if it is different. Even if it is something I don’t like, there is a valuable experience to be gained. It’s memorable.

I also think there is something really special about seeing someone who is dedicated to their craft, in a sense that they seemed to have mastered something. That motivates me here as we try to adopt more food items and unique recipes. I am learning to meet the challenge of what that is. It might be an okay version, but there is also the really special version, which is what I strive for. Again, you want people to walk away with a memorable experience.

In theory, to do the stuff that I want to do, we would need to develop a better space to do it in. But how do I make it work in this space? The idea of expansion is pretty scary because it’s a lot of money and it’s a long term thing, but I think it’s more about how I can take these things I am interested in; as far as food, drinks, and customer experience, and bring them into our space that people would take positively too and say, “Oh cool, they are doing this now”. 

I want it to remain simple in its approach, use traditional methods, and highlight unique flavors. Before I started making pizzas, sourdough, and bagels, I was interested in making churros. They go great with coffee, but I quickly realized that I hated working with grease. I quickly scrapped that idea, but the intention remains the same; offer familiarity and nostalgia through a simple, unique,  and high quality product. 

It has been an exciting challenge to make it work with what space we have. I have big ideas, for such a little place.