Award-winning coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is
proud to support Owners Sean and Stephanie
Miller in opening their second coffee shop. Sandstone Coffee
House at 254 Park Avenue in Amherst,
Ohio, joins Coffee in the Valley, which opened in 2019 at
6663 Center Road in Valley City,
Ohio.
AMHERST,
Ohio, Feb. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The
heart of downtown Amherst, Ohio,
has a new hot spot for locals to get together over amazing coffee
and delicious eats! Sandstone Coffee House at 254 Park Avenue
invites guests to enjoy a cozy, home-like atmosphere, award-winning
coffee, and a growing menu of breakfast and lunch food options.
The new coffee house represents a homecoming for Lorain-area natives Sean and Stephanie Miller.
It's also their second coffee restaurant. In 2019, they opened
Coffee in the Valley at 6663 Center Road in Valley City, Ohio.
Thir idea of owning and managing coffee shops began as a
'someday' dream, according to Stephanie
Miller. "I was an elementary school teacher, and my husband
is an accountant. How did this lead to a coffee shop?"
While walking through Valley
City one evening, they noticed a building for sale. It was a
former bank with a drive-thru lane.
"We joked around about buying the bank," she said. "Little did
we know, a few short months later, we would be on our way to
opening Coffee in the Valley!"
To achieve their dream and learn how to open a coffee shop, the
couple turned to Crimson Cup and its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop
startup program.
Based on the book, Seven Steps to Success: a Common-sense Guide
to Succeed in Specialty Coffee by Crimson Cup Founder and President
Greg Ubert, the program guides new
owners of independent coffee shops from dream through opening day
and beyond.
The roaster's 7 Steps coffee shop startup consulting team
assists new owners in choosing a profitable location, writing a
solid coffee shop business plan, designing and laying out the new
shop, training baristas, and much more.
"Without Crimson Cup, we would have struggled getting started,"
Stephanie said. "We knew nothing beforehand about making coffee and
espresso. We were just following a dream."
After three successful years at Coffee in the Valley, the
Millers learned a building in downtown Amherst was available.
"We both grew up in the Lorain
area, and this is home," Stephanie said. "It's good to come back to
our roots."
At Sandstone Coffee House, she plans to duplicate many of the
features that have driven Coffee in the Valley's success.
"We're known in Valley City for
our top-notch coffee, friendly service, and varied menu," she said.
"In Amherst, we plan to have pastries, breakfast and lunch options,
sandwiches, soups, and more."
She sees consistency as the key to her successful expansion. "We
make sure we're consistent with staffing, policies, the owner's
time in the shop, and making sure the staff at both locations feels
supported."
Crimson Cup's hands-on training, held at each shop the week
before opening, has helped her baristas deliver espresso-based
drinks that consistently taste great.
"One customer commented that our drinks taste the same at both
shops, always, and she loves that!"
Both shops have a comfortable, home-like feel. "We like to offer
a variety of seating choices and warm and bright lighting. And our
staff at both shops is amazing!"
Expanding to two shops has created challenges and opportunities.
"I run around like crazy now, and our staff was a little concerned
at first about not getting enough of my time," she said.
"Just figuring out how to keep everything supplied and on a
schedule was a challenge, but now we have backup inventory if we
run out of supplies at one store."
"Plus, we have so many more opportunities to invest in our
communities and get to know so many people! We are open for events,
even if they are on days we are closed or after hours. We also
display local high school art, host poetry readings, and support
school and community events."
Crimson Cup's Customer Growth team has helped Miller solve
problems and brainstorm opportunities for both locations.
Her favorite part about working with Crimson Cup? "They have an
amazing staff that's extremely supportive and responsive. Our
orders come on time, and we have had almost no mistakes in our
three and a half years of working with the company."
As the proud owner of two independent coffee shops, Stephanie
has this advice for prospective coffee shop owners: "I would highly
recommend Crimson Cup. Without them, I am not sure we would still
be open – let alone opening a second location."
Sean and Stephanie Miller invite
everyone in Northeast Ohio to
visit their coffee shops in Valley
City and Amherst, Ohio.
"Make sure you bring a friend or a book," Stephanie said. "You
are going to want to stay for a while. We can't wait to serve
you!"
Sandstone Coffee House is open Monday through Saturday at 254
Park Avenue. Follow the shop's Facebook page for news, featured
drinks, and other updates.
Coffee in the Valley is open Monday through Saturday at 6663
Center Road in Valley City, Ohio.
Follow their Facebook page for the latest news.
About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
Founded in 1991, Crimson Cup is at the forefront of the coffee
industry. Its attentive roasting, startup support and global
partnerships are consciously designed for the greater good of
communities around the world. Among other national recognitions,
the company has earned 2020 and 2017 Good Food Awards, the 2019
Golden Bean Champion for Small Franchise/Chain Roaster and Roast
magazine's 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year.
Crimson Cup travels the world searching for the perfect cup –
driven by meaningful relationships, honesty and a shared vision for
the future. Its Friend2Farmer initiatives foster respect and
decency through mutually beneficial collaboration across local and
global communities.
Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, the
company teaches entrepreneurs how to open and run independent
coffee houses in their local communities. By developing a coffee
shop business plan, entrepreneurs gain insight into coffee shop
startup costs.
Crimson Cup coffee is available through over 350 independent
coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and
food service operations across 30 states, Guam and Bangladesh. The company also owns several
Crimson Cup Coffee Shops and a new CRIMSON retail flagship store.
To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com, or follow the company on
Facebook and Instagram.
Media Contact
Cheryl Claypoole, Crimson Cup
Coffee & Tea, 614-361-5023, cheryl@claypoolecc.com
Twitter, Facebook
SOURCE Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea