We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kari Stevens. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kari below.
Kari, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?
I opened my first location in April 2020 during the pandemic. I believe with any business, it takes time to scale your business: especially when starting a new business, and our disadvantage was starting during Covid. You have to be realistic with yourself and always anticipate the worst. With that said, I knew the first year would be extremely difficult, and it would probably take two additional years to recover from the opening during the pandemic. I think a lot of people who dream of opening a business do so with the mentality that they will turn a profit immediately. Although, it’s possible but rare. I knew my business concept would be accepted, appreciated and eventually become a demand in the Coffee and Tea Industry. I think obstacles are inevitable, but when you truly have a passion for what you do, I feel no obstacle is too big to overcome. We have a unique concept and a diverse menu. I modeled our business around the customer experience and quality. I wanted to actively make a change in our communities and really make a positive impact; whether that be by being involved in community events and/or changing a customer’s life one cup at a time.
We saw an opportunity to market through social media during the pandemic, as most people were home working, and staying indoors, which gave them more time to browse social media. I then focused on building the brand by marketing through social media.
Once the county/state covid restrictions were lifted, we started to see the influx in customers through our drive through and in-store. I later joined various businesses to create events for our customers and community to attend. We focused on “drive-thru” events because as we noticed and the data that was released after covid, we saw less foot traffic and more drive thru traffic.
We launched coffee flights and holiday menus, which created a lot of hype! Are sales went through the roof. We offer high quality espresso based beverages with the option to add brown sugar boba. We offer various unique cold drinks and refreshers with numerous toppings.. It’s something you cannot get elsewhere. We were featured in several articles and blogs. We then received many requests on franchise opportunities! So, we franchised our business this year and now offer franchise opportunities in several states across the US.
Kari, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Kari Stevens, Founder of Vogue Bubble Tea & Coffee Bar. We are a Bubble Tea & Coffee Shop Franchise Company, offering opportunities for anyone who has a passion for coffee and bubble tea. I started my business with the dream of making an impact on others with my passion. I know how competitive the industry is; therefore, I developed a unique one-of-a-kind concept. My Company is devoted to making an impact in each community and offering the best customer service for an unforgettable experience.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Marketing!
Any advice for managing a team?
Work along side your employees, try to motivate them to be the best they can and observe! By observing them you can build a better foundation, you will know when they need encouragement, a quick 10 min break or a boost.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.voguebubbleteaanndcoffeebar.us