We are welcoming Mike Ayars, owner of Turnstile Coffee in NJ, to this episode of #localbites! Mike has over a decade of experience in the specialty coffee business, and is talking to us today about some unique experiences he has had and how he runs a wholesale roastery business at the same time.
Website: https://www.turnstilecoffee.com/
Instagram: @turnstilecoffee
Coffee Pick Up Window: https://943thepoint.com/turnstile-coffee-in-belmar-opens-takeout-window/
[00:00] Show intro
[00:35] Welcome to Mike
[00:50] Biggest lessons learned after a decade of specialty coffee
[01:34] Why start with specialty coffee?
[02:56] How do you survive in a world without coffee
[03:17] From a first taste of coffee to opening Turnstile
[04:45] Where Mike looked for roasting classes
[05:30] What’s the draw for roasting?
[06:54] The unique aspects of roasting and owning a cafe
[08:44] Finding good sources
[11:05] Who is over the roasting business?
[11:45] How to keep up with the trends?
[12:54] Customer education
[16:16] What does Mike do to make Turnstile unique?
[18:55] Why do other cafes come to Turnstile for their coffee?
[20:11] Ratio of wholesale to cafe business
[21:28] What the pandemic was like: take out window edition
[25:23] How special events can promote coffee
[28:04] The biggest challenges in 11 years of Turnstile
[30:09] #1 piece of staffing advice
[31:30] Advice for aspiring coffee shop/roastery owners
[33:47] Wrap up
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