CONSCIOUS CUP COFFEE ROASTING
- COFFEE ROASTER / RETAILER
- CONSCIOUS CUP (Crystal Lake, Illinois, USA)
- The owners of new organic, Fair Trade and fairly traded concept Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters approached CafeMakers in 2005 for assistance developing its flagship coffee roasting and retail facility in Crystal Lake, Illinois, just north of Chicago.
- Website: Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters
- CONCEPT PLANNING
- CafeMakers began by assisting the client to develop financial projections, refine the business concept, operating / green coffee buying / roasting procedures, purchase roasting and retail cafe equipment as well as design customer flow of the retail storefront.
- TRAINING AND LAUNCH
- With the the roasting area and cafe interior complete, CafeMakers provided roasting and retail training in two sessions beginning in January 2006. Both retail store and roasting operation opened for business shortly thereafter and Conscious Cup's owners sprung into action with an assertive local direct marketing program.
- SUCCESS
- Despite unexpected delays in a planned nearby passenger light rail terminal, by standing by its strong environmental and humanitarian mission while serving expertly prepared coffees, Conscious Cup quickly developed a strong following of local customers in the affluent North Chicago suburb that allowed the business to succeed and thrive through the economic crisis of 2008 and early 2009. Shortly thereafter, the business outgrew its initial location and expanded to a new roasting / retailing facility nearby. Today the business is known across the nation as one of the country's finest microroasters of sustainable and responsible coffees, as recognized in 2011 by CoffeeReview.com with an "outstanding" review of 94-points.