Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Allie Commons. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Allie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you ever had an amazing boss? What did you learn from them? Maybe you can share a story that illustrates the kind of boss they were or maybe you can share your thoughts on what you think made them an awesome person to work for?

I have indeed had a number of bosses that were exemplary. What I can reflect back on and see is the reason I remember them so fondly is they led by example- always treating people with love and kindness while using the business as a model of fairness and hard work.

Allie, 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?

For 30 years I dreamed of running a coffee shop. The connection with people was always the draw for me. I am grateful to be able to say that it truly is my dream to be able to serve people every day who come into the cafe. I love meeting new people and having the great privilege of serving customers well is something not taken lightly at Rivet Coffee. The coffee is great- roasted on site, always fresh and delicious and the food offerings are unique- not your typical menu. Rivet prepares our menu items daily in our cafe, nothing is frozen. and has a welcoming atmosphere to boot. But the atmosphere at Rivet is what stands out to most people. The way they are treated and served. That is what I love. So, whether you are inside the cafe, on our wrap around porch, or under the heated deck, you’re sure to feel right at home. Take a visit to the roastery on your trip and find out something new about your favorite beverage. Rivet Coffee Bar & Roastery is worth the trip to Westfield. Comee see for yourself!

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Well, I am not a seasoned professional, just being open for two and a half years now but I would have to say it’s about serving people well- that is our motto at the cafe. Serving people well is all about making sure folks feel seen, heard and treated with kindness and love. This applies to our customers as well as our mates that we work alongside too. I tell my interviewees that they get to create the environment they work in, and they are expected to take responsibility for their attitude, feelings and reactions toward others while at work. Upper management also must do dirty work, long hours and deal with the issues as they come. I cannot in good conscience ask someone to do a job I haven’t done, couldn’t or wouldn’t do. Additionally, always bring the praise- every day- genuine praise for all the great effort and good work. I believe this makes the employee check ins and necessary moments for constructive criticism less painful. Err on the side of grace and always be consistent.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

We have a loyalty program that accrues “beans” for every purchase over $4. there’s only one beverage on our menu that will total less than that. this program keeps track per purchase and then redeems $10 off the tenth purchase. regular customers find that they redeem pretty frequently. we have monthly roastery give aways to focus on building the wholesale roastery business and build brand loyalty with our Rivet logo merchandise. Also, our POS collects customers’ info from the sign-up process with the loyalty program so that we can generate sales and promos to send to customers, but this is typically just every quarter and a few extra around the holidays.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rivetcoffee.com
• Instagram: rivet.coffee
• Facebook: rivetcoffee.com

Image Credits
Adam Mayer Photography Fokus Photography Justin Sicking Photography