If you are a long time reader of our blog, you might remember that a local TV show (Mike Boyle’s Restaurant Show) did a 20 minute segment on Nemo’s Coffee right after we opened. It aired over and over again for several weeks, here in Colorado Springs and in Denver.
We have always been hesitant to sink money into print advertising. The exposure by print media is very limited, and the costs are extremely high. Why pay a very high price to put an ad in a paper that goes city-wide, when our target market is the 80909 and 80910 zip codes? We have marketed Nemo’s via word of mouth, mostly, by keeping our customers happy. We also use Facebook to invite new people to Nemo’s, identified as potential customers by where they work (Memorial Hospital, Olympic Training Center, medical complexes on Printers Parkway, etc…).
We have an opportunity to work with Mike Boyle again in June. He is going to broadcast live from our location, as part of his “Lunch Bunch” tour. He broadcasts from a different location every Saturday, and the host restaurant provides a special deal on their products. The radio station is KVOR 740, so our specials have to be based on a 740 system. Here are the deals we will be offering:
$7.40 2 sandwiches and specialty iced teas
$3.70 sandwich and specialty iced tea
$2.96 2 homemade breakfast burritos
$1.48 single homemade breakfast burrito
.74 scones
.74 medium specialty drink (lattes, mochas, caramel swirls, etc)
The sandwiches will be Tracy’s chicken salad sandwich. She pressure cooks chicken in the shop, and then shreds it after it cools. She then mixes in mayonnaise and spices. The sandwich is served on either a croissant or organic sunflower wheat bread, with provolone cheese, dried cranberries (craisins), purple onion, and romaine lettuce.
The breakfast burritos are VERY large, and are also homemade on site. We use Jimmy Dean sausage, real scrambled eggs (we crack the eggs! We don’t use that egg in a juice container product), potatoes, cheddar cheese, and homemade pico de gallo (salsa, for my friends from the Midwest).
Tracy also makes the most incredible scones from scratch. She even grinds her own wheat! Some of her signature scones are ‘lemon ginger’, ‘raspberry white chocolate’, ‘cranberry orange’, and dark chocolate espresso.’ She has many other original scones, and she is always experimenting with new versions.
We also have other pastries, breakfast sandwiches, homemade soup, salads, fruit smoothies, etc.
…and don’t forget about our private conference room with available projector.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
New X-Rays Today
Well, I got new x-rays today, and as I already knew from the way it feels, my clavicle is not healing well. It has been 3 1/2 months since my bicycle wreck, and there is very little new bone growth at the break site. I did re-break it twice after the original accident, but hey, who's counting???
Here is a photo I took of the lcd screen (x-rays are digital these days) in the doctor's office:
The clavicle should be a solid, one piece, horizontal bone going from the sternum to the shoulder. As you can see, mine is a total train wreck. The break did not line up end-to-end to heal. The right piece of the clavicle went under the left piece, and that is how it fused together. This x-ray was taken today, and as you can see, there is very little bone growth. The doctor expects to see a lump of new bone growth around the entire break site. Mine has almost none... The amount of overlap between the pieces is significant, also. The dimension from my neck to shoulder is now two inches shorter on my injured side than it is on my normal side.
Another interesting thing to note is the top rib that is angled down and overlapping the second rib from the top. I ripped that rib away from the sternum in 1988. I never went to the doctor, so I never really got to take a look at it. I knew the rib was moved to the wrong place because of the immense pain, and the weird lump on my chest. It healed over time, but in the wrong place. It is interesting to see an x-ray of it now, 21 years later.
So, what's next? Well, I go back for x-rays, or possibly a cat scan, in six weeks. I suppose we'll make a decision then on whether or not surgery will be required to re-break it and install a metal plate. Sweet...
Gotta run,
JD
Here is a photo I took of the lcd screen (x-rays are digital these days) in the doctor's office:
The clavicle should be a solid, one piece, horizontal bone going from the sternum to the shoulder. As you can see, mine is a total train wreck. The break did not line up end-to-end to heal. The right piece of the clavicle went under the left piece, and that is how it fused together. This x-ray was taken today, and as you can see, there is very little bone growth. The doctor expects to see a lump of new bone growth around the entire break site. Mine has almost none... The amount of overlap between the pieces is significant, also. The dimension from my neck to shoulder is now two inches shorter on my injured side than it is on my normal side.
Another interesting thing to note is the top rib that is angled down and overlapping the second rib from the top. I ripped that rib away from the sternum in 1988. I never went to the doctor, so I never really got to take a look at it. I knew the rib was moved to the wrong place because of the immense pain, and the weird lump on my chest. It healed over time, but in the wrong place. It is interesting to see an x-ray of it now, 21 years later.
So, what's next? Well, I go back for x-rays, or possibly a cat scan, in six weeks. I suppose we'll make a decision then on whether or not surgery will be required to re-break it and install a metal plate. Sweet...
Gotta run,
JD
Monday, February 16, 2009
Nemo's 2-16-2009
Tracy and I (and Carl, one of our new employees) provided coffee and espresso services at the Stargazer Theater and Event Center for the Tyrone Wells concert Friday night. We had a lot of fun, and look forward to doing more events at Stargazers.
We have had pretty solid sales days lately. Even with the doom and gloom that is being spewed by the government and the media, we are showing solid 10% or more growth compared to last year. That is great news for us! Showing growth during such a downturn in the economy is a real blessing...
My collar bone is just not healing very well. I am functional, but definitely not healed. I get new xrays later this week, and I'm expecting my ortho doctor to suggest a surgical repair. I'm not opposed to that because I know it is what is needed to get this injury back to some type of normal state. However, starting from square one again, though, is disheartening. Uugghhh... Bummer...
We recently swapped out artwork in the shop. Thank you soooo very much to Nikki Connon, who showed her beautiful paintings here for so long. We really enjoyed having her bigger than life oil paintings in the shop. And it was so kind of her to give Tracy one of her paintings! How cool is Nikki?
Joseph Bishop is now showing his work, which is wonderful. What makes his artwork even more extraordinary is that Joseph was born with a lobe of his brain missing. He has never walked, never talked, and has involuntary motor control issues. His paintings, however, are completely amazing and let's us know there is a fully functioning, thinking individual at work. A lesson to be learned is to never assume ANYTHING about someone who appears to be disabled. God places talent in everyone, regardless... Joseph has discovered his God given talent and has given us some wonderful images to see... I'll post a few photos soon (don't have a card reader with me tonight).
We have had pretty solid sales days lately. Even with the doom and gloom that is being spewed by the government and the media, we are showing solid 10% or more growth compared to last year. That is great news for us! Showing growth during such a downturn in the economy is a real blessing...
My collar bone is just not healing very well. I am functional, but definitely not healed. I get new xrays later this week, and I'm expecting my ortho doctor to suggest a surgical repair. I'm not opposed to that because I know it is what is needed to get this injury back to some type of normal state. However, starting from square one again, though, is disheartening. Uugghhh... Bummer...
We recently swapped out artwork in the shop. Thank you soooo very much to Nikki Connon, who showed her beautiful paintings here for so long. We really enjoyed having her bigger than life oil paintings in the shop. And it was so kind of her to give Tracy one of her paintings! How cool is Nikki?
Joseph Bishop is now showing his work, which is wonderful. What makes his artwork even more extraordinary is that Joseph was born with a lobe of his brain missing. He has never walked, never talked, and has involuntary motor control issues. His paintings, however, are completely amazing and let's us know there is a fully functioning, thinking individual at work. A lesson to be learned is to never assume ANYTHING about someone who appears to be disabled. God places talent in everyone, regardless... Joseph has discovered his God given talent and has given us some wonderful images to see... I'll post a few photos soon (don't have a card reader with me tonight).
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Nemo’s Update
1-We have had a great week, with a number of out of state participants in seminars at the Pikes Peak Work Force Center and at Premiere Global. That translates to HUGE lunch hours. We also had orders for 30 breakfast burritos by seminar hosts, my company RK Mechanical had a training seminar in the studio on Tuesday, the Photography Meetup Group had a Photoshop seminar in the studio today, etc, etc…. Every event we schedule in the studio/conference room not only helps to boost sales, but it is a marketing machine. When someone comes into our shop because of an event, that is one more thoroughly impressed and satisfied customer walking out the door to help spread the word about Nemo’s!
2-We are planning a movie night in the studio for the kids and their friends. The projector shows movies at 7 feet high x 12.5 feet wide on the studio wall. While the kids are watching a movie, us parents are going to have a game night or something like that out in the café. Looks to be a good time…
3-We would like to thank the 70-80 people who took an interest in our advertised Barista position. We met many wonderful people through the interviewing process. All of you were keepers… If we were a Barista Adoption Agency, we would have taken all of you. Unfortunately, we were interviewing for either one full time position, or two part time positions. Based upon having flexibility in the schedule and to avoid issues if someone is sick or on vacation, we chose to hire two part time individuals. It was very difficult to narrow the field down to just two, out of so many outstanding applicants. We would like to welcome Sarah and Carl to our team. Not only do they both have coffee experience, they have dynamic personalities with a dedication to the customer service experience. We have a great product, so our main focus when hiring is to look for ENERGY, dynamic personalities, SMILES, and an easy interaction. If you interviewed and were not chosen this time, we will keep your application on file. All of you were great!
4-I met with a supplemental insurance company last week. They do not offer full medical coverage, but they do offer accident insurance, hospitalization coverage, vision, dental, short and long term disability, and a wide range of other options. As an employer, we can offer this coverage to our staff, pre-tax. I need to set up a staff meeting and determine if it is something they want to implement…
5-I received payment for three video projects, so I have the cash in hand to buy the Canon 5D MkII... however, my gut feeling is telling me to hang onto it... I'm going to throw it in the bank and sit still for a few months. This is not easy to do, but I'm sticking with it.
6-I saw in the news that Starbucks is closing 300 more stores, 200 of them domestic, and it will result in approx 6700 layoffs. One item mentioned in the article is that they are going to stop brewing decaf coffee every hour on the hour. We figured that out in about two days... It is not fun to dump shuttle after shuttle of decaf coffee down the drain. After awhile, you see dollar signs in the sink instead of coffee. We now make decaf Americano's for our non-caffiene friends. Americano's taste better than brewed coffee anyway, and it saves us lots of money. Starbucks indicated that this move will save them $400 Million dollars a year. I think we are saving just a little less than that... LOL
Gotta run,
Take care and God bless…
JD
2-We are planning a movie night in the studio for the kids and their friends. The projector shows movies at 7 feet high x 12.5 feet wide on the studio wall. While the kids are watching a movie, us parents are going to have a game night or something like that out in the café. Looks to be a good time…
3-We would like to thank the 70-80 people who took an interest in our advertised Barista position. We met many wonderful people through the interviewing process. All of you were keepers… If we were a Barista Adoption Agency, we would have taken all of you. Unfortunately, we were interviewing for either one full time position, or two part time positions. Based upon having flexibility in the schedule and to avoid issues if someone is sick or on vacation, we chose to hire two part time individuals. It was very difficult to narrow the field down to just two, out of so many outstanding applicants. We would like to welcome Sarah and Carl to our team. Not only do they both have coffee experience, they have dynamic personalities with a dedication to the customer service experience. We have a great product, so our main focus when hiring is to look for ENERGY, dynamic personalities, SMILES, and an easy interaction. If you interviewed and were not chosen this time, we will keep your application on file. All of you were great!
4-I met with a supplemental insurance company last week. They do not offer full medical coverage, but they do offer accident insurance, hospitalization coverage, vision, dental, short and long term disability, and a wide range of other options. As an employer, we can offer this coverage to our staff, pre-tax. I need to set up a staff meeting and determine if it is something they want to implement…
5-I received payment for three video projects, so I have the cash in hand to buy the Canon 5D MkII... however, my gut feeling is telling me to hang onto it... I'm going to throw it in the bank and sit still for a few months. This is not easy to do, but I'm sticking with it.
6-I saw in the news that Starbucks is closing 300 more stores, 200 of them domestic, and it will result in approx 6700 layoffs. One item mentioned in the article is that they are going to stop brewing decaf coffee every hour on the hour. We figured that out in about two days... It is not fun to dump shuttle after shuttle of decaf coffee down the drain. After awhile, you see dollar signs in the sink instead of coffee. We now make decaf Americano's for our non-caffiene friends. Americano's taste better than brewed coffee anyway, and it saves us lots of money. Starbucks indicated that this move will save them $400 Million dollars a year. I think we are saving just a little less than that... LOL
Gotta run,
Take care and God bless…
JD
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Starbucks "Cuts the Cheese"
I was reading an article about pending Starbucks layoffs, and I couldn't help myself after reading this paragraph:
Initially, Schultz said he was eliminating heated breakfast sandwiches because their smell overwhelmed the aroma of coffee. Then, Starbucks decided to keep the sandwiches because it found a way to minimize the smell (by subtracting a piece of cheese).
I thought "WOW, this will make a great opportunity for a blog entry title!"
Starbucks sales continue to slide, and they are laying off lots of corporate staff, and regional/district managers. I just wonder how far they will slide before they concentrate on what is really important, which is getting their product quality back to where it was in 1995. Maybe they have grown so big that they have no chance of doing so. They are also facing a new foe with McDonald's opening espresso bars. McDonalds has also opted for the "crummy drink generators," otherwise known as Super Automatics. Shops who are dedicated to making great coffee have very little to fear, but I imagine Starbucks will take another hit on sales. If you can get an equally crummy latte, along with some of those sweet Micky D's french fries, why on earth would you ever go to Starbucks again??? And, yes, I am serious about the french fries. They are my favorite...
As for Nemo's, we will continue to grind and tamp fresh espresso, and time our shots for the optimal espresso flavor and quality. Sorry, we don't serve french fries, though.
Take care,
JD
Initially, Schultz said he was eliminating heated breakfast sandwiches because their smell overwhelmed the aroma of coffee. Then, Starbucks decided to keep the sandwiches because it found a way to minimize the smell (by subtracting a piece of cheese).
I thought "WOW, this will make a great opportunity for a blog entry title!"
Starbucks sales continue to slide, and they are laying off lots of corporate staff, and regional/district managers. I just wonder how far they will slide before they concentrate on what is really important, which is getting their product quality back to where it was in 1995. Maybe they have grown so big that they have no chance of doing so. They are also facing a new foe with McDonald's opening espresso bars. McDonalds has also opted for the "crummy drink generators," otherwise known as Super Automatics. Shops who are dedicated to making great coffee have very little to fear, but I imagine Starbucks will take another hit on sales. If you can get an equally crummy latte, along with some of those sweet Micky D's french fries, why on earth would you ever go to Starbucks again??? And, yes, I am serious about the french fries. They are my favorite...
As for Nemo's, we will continue to grind and tamp fresh espresso, and time our shots for the optimal espresso flavor and quality. Sorry, we don't serve french fries, though.
Take care,
JD
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wanting to market photography more...
I've been getting steady photography and video work, and I really enjoy doing it. I was taken out of action with the broken collar bone for awhile, but I'm able to shoot again without too much pain. I've been shooting two Canon 20D bodies for weddings, one with a 24-70 L and one with a 70-200 L. I held out on upgrading bodies through the releases of the 30D, 40D and 50D. I seriously considered a 5D, but heard a 5D MkII would release 'soon'. I think I have waited for about 18 months, and the MkII is now a reality, although no one has any in stock.
So... I've been waiting for this, and now it is here. Do I get it, or not? It is an amazing camera, and would be a huge asset to have for future work. The body is around $2700, so it is a big investment. I just billed for three video projects, and that income is $2600. My gut instinct tells me to save that for now. I have two more video projects coming soon, with more to follow. I'm struggling with that need/want problem. I can get by right now without it, but it really would be an improvement, especially for large 20" x 30" prints. It is 21 megapixels vs. 8.1 megapixels. There would be absolutely no comparison in image quality between the 20D and the 5D MkII. The image quality is unbelievable in low light, when shooting at high ISO ratings. My 20D creates nearly unusable images in the same situations (which occur frequently at wedding receptions, and sometimes the ceremony too).
I've pretty much made up my mind to get one, but I won't do it unless I can pay cash for it. I think I'll wait for a few more video projects... It took me most of my life to become financially responsible. I can't waver on that now...
Nemo's had really great days for the last two days in a row. We have posted sales that are 65% higher than sales on the same days in 2008. Woo Hoo... Keep it coming!
Gotta run...
Now, here is a little thing I put together really fast... What do you think of this?
So... I've been waiting for this, and now it is here. Do I get it, or not? It is an amazing camera, and would be a huge asset to have for future work. The body is around $2700, so it is a big investment. I just billed for three video projects, and that income is $2600. My gut instinct tells me to save that for now. I have two more video projects coming soon, with more to follow. I'm struggling with that need/want problem. I can get by right now without it, but it really would be an improvement, especially for large 20" x 30" prints. It is 21 megapixels vs. 8.1 megapixels. There would be absolutely no comparison in image quality between the 20D and the 5D MkII. The image quality is unbelievable in low light, when shooting at high ISO ratings. My 20D creates nearly unusable images in the same situations (which occur frequently at wedding receptions, and sometimes the ceremony too).
I've pretty much made up my mind to get one, but I won't do it unless I can pay cash for it. I think I'll wait for a few more video projects... It took me most of my life to become financially responsible. I can't waver on that now...
Nemo's had really great days for the last two days in a row. We have posted sales that are 65% higher than sales on the same days in 2008. Woo Hoo... Keep it coming!
Gotta run...
Now, here is a little thing I put together really fast... What do you think of this?
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Staffing
I mentioned recently that Tracy and I are very happy with our staff at Nemo’s right now. Well, Matt is interested in moving back to Hawaii, and gave his notice early this week. Tracy and I have been reviewing applications and have five interviews tonight. We have some really great applicants, but their availability does not line up with our needs. We have other great applicants as well, but our favorites from the bunch are not going to work. It has taken a couple of years to learn, but there are subtle hints in applications and resumes that help us to weed out potential candidates. One thing to look at is job history. If an application looks stellar, but their job history shows they do not remain in positions for more than 3-6 months that is a huge red flag. This means they are flighty and fickle with regard to their employment desires (which is not uncommon in teens and early twenty-somethings), or they are not good employees and get cut loose often. If we ask individuals why they left their last several positions, and they say they were treated poorly by ‘bad management’ at every single place they have ever worked, there might be a problem with their attitude, work ethic, attendance, etc… Sure, there is bad management out there, but it should not be the reason for leaving five jobs in a row, after two months at each place. A more subtle version of this is if people leave a job because they do not get enough hours. Well, we know as business owners that you give the bulk of your schedule hours to your best assets. Less valuable employees get fewer hours. People you want to get rid of get single digit hours until they decide to quit. Learning how to hire well is very important for your business success. Another trap to avoid is to hire and keep nice people who are not optimal employees. It is very hard to cut someone loose when they are very nice. Sometimes it is impossible to know what kind of employee they will be until you see them in action. It can damage your business, though, to keep an ineffective employee just because they are pleasant and nice people.
I’ve been out of my sling for nearly a week. I’m usually in a great deal of pain by the end of the day, but I can see improvements day by day of range of motion in my shoulder. I have tried hard not to favor my left arm/shoulder, which results in discomfort. Better to use it and feel the pain than to favor it forever. The doctor was concerned that it might break again without the sling, but so far so good. …three more weeks until my next date with the x-ray machine.
Gotta run…
Hope everyone is well. If you are on Facebook, look up Nemo’s Coffee. We would love to be your friend!
JD
I’ve been out of my sling for nearly a week. I’m usually in a great deal of pain by the end of the day, but I can see improvements day by day of range of motion in my shoulder. I have tried hard not to favor my left arm/shoulder, which results in discomfort. Better to use it and feel the pain than to favor it forever. The doctor was concerned that it might break again without the sling, but so far so good. …three more weeks until my next date with the x-ray machine.
Gotta run…
Hope everyone is well. If you are on Facebook, look up Nemo’s Coffee. We would love to be your friend!
JD
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