COLUMBUS, Ohio – Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, a Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster and coffee franchise alternative, has awarded more than $125,000 in education and hands-on training to its coffee house customers. Coffee shops participating in the program received rewards based on their business level with Crimson Cup.
“Our Crimson Cup Rewards program is one more way we help independent coffee shops succeed,” said Founder and President Greg Ubert. “Since 1991, we’ve helped hundreds of business owners in 28 states set up thriving specialty coffee businesses.”
Credits can be used throughout 2014 toward a wide variety of training classes, Crimson Cup’s Independents Day conference, or organized trips to coffee plantations. All customers also receive access to a marketing portal with customizable collateral and promotional materials.
Coffee house customers can choose from more than 20 training classes covering nearly every aspect of coffee shop operations.
Topics range from Espresso 101 and Advanced Barista Training to Brew Bar 101 and Comparative Cupping. Classes may be held at Crimson Cup’s Columbus, Ohio roasting and training facility or at customers’ coffee shops.
Content for many of the classes is drawn from Ubert’s Book, Seven Steps to Success in the Specialty Coffee Industry, which forms the basis of the company’s coffee shop franchise alternative program.
At the Independents Day conference in August, Crimson Cup community members learn about the latest trends in specialty coffee from coffee and marketing experts, the Crimson Cup team and one another.
“We’ll talk about what’s working and what’s new in nearly every aspect of operations, from menus and brewing methods to marketing and staff training,” Ubert said.
Crimson Cup organizes trips to coffee-growing countries each year. In 2013, the company visited coffee plantations and processing facilities in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras. Four Ohio coffee shop owners participated in the Costa Rica trip.
Crimson Cup Rewards are designed to help coffee house owners grow their businesses.
“We’re proud to invest in our customers,” Ubert said. “Not only do we succeed when they succeed, but we’re also strengthening independent coffee shops as an industry.”
