Day in the life
Coffee morning… and afternoon!
Steve Patania is the franchise owner and operator for Esquires Coffee at Doncaster Wheatley Retail Park. Steve has run his Esquires franchise, which recently underwent a stunning rebrand, since October 2009
5.30am-8.00am Rising from sleep at 5.30am in the morning has taken some getting used to, as 7 to 7.30am was the norm throughout my whole working life. I am aided, though, by the sweet anticipation of treating myself to coff ee and breakfast in store once I’ve everything set up. I do enjoy the early starts as it provides the peace and tranquillity needed to contemplate the day ahead. The second latte around 7.30am is the perfect tonic to stimulate mind and body into absorbing the day’s events.
8.00am-10.00am I am joined by my fi rst member of staff at 8.00am, which aff ords the time to fi nish off the morning’s baking of fresh pastries and get them on display. My fi rst customers arrive and I am ready to greet them with the warm welcome and friendly banter they come to expect. It’s so satisfying to have such good rapport with so many diff erent people. I have made many friends over the years and it is gratifying to know that my customers are actually keen to support me as they witness my quest to succeed. Around now is a good time to record fridge and freezer temperatures and coff ee grind quality before the busy period starts.
“It’s so satisfying to have such good rapport with so many different people”
10.00am-12.00pm
Life gets a little easier during this period as two further staff arrive to start their shifts, aff ording me the time to check stock levels and place appropriate orders for the next day. Getting the balance right on ordering is so important as my storage capacity is quite prohibitive and many products have limited shelf life – it certainly makes me
Steve Patania
think! I make a quick check of the displays and top up where required before we start to get really busy – it’s a constant requirement mid-morning, and especially so at weekends.
12.00pm-2.30pm A sharp intake of breath and prepare for the onslaught that ensues with our usual lunchtime trade. This is where the strategy of ‘Aces in Places’ really pays dividends, as we take great pride in providing timely customer service. My particular role during this period is best served by fl oating between my frontline operators and optimising the set performances of their duties. It really is full on – lunch for me is often somewhat delayed to much later in the day. Any chance for a fi nal top up of the displays is eagerly grasped, as good retail practice teaches you that you can’t sell empty spaces!
2.30pm-4.30pm And… breathe out! There’s a real sense of accomplishment among the whole
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BusinessFranchise.com | September 2017
team – a well-deserved pat on the back for my staff is always appreciated and helps provide the stimulus to repeat it all again the very next day. It’s also a good time to catch up on my banking requirements, deal with paperwork and emails, and transfer frozen produce into the fridges for the following day’s use.
4.30pm-6.00pm
By this time the two early-start staff will have fi nished their shift, leaving myself and one other to commence with the close procedure. There’s always plenty to do here, keeping us solidly on the go. The fi nal hours tasks are quite relentless, with all displays being replenished and suitably preserved, outside furniture to secure back in store, full clean-down schedule and, fi nally, cashing up for the night. As a business owner, I have the warm feeling that all the eff ort was so worthwhile. Roll on tomorrow!
franchise@esquires.co.uk
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