We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Roshiem Austin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Roshiem , appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

The best customer service related moment I’ve been apart of was before I was a bar & restaurant owner. At the time I hadn’t even started on the path of becoming a “certified beer server” in the Cicerone program. I was just a normal guy who loved hanging out with his wife trying great beer and awesome food. Often we found ourselves at a neighborhood brick oven pizzeria establishment that we enjoyed. The owner recognized right away that we lived nearby and were frequent customers on our second time there. Very quickly our visits began to feel like we were hanging with our friends. The experiences were always special for us and reached a climax when we returned for a normal Friday night meal and saw that the owner had put our names on the back of the barstools we normally sat at. I can’t put into words how awesome that made feel as a customer.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

In 2016 my wife was offered a CEO position in Ventura, California. At the time, I was working as a project manager in construction. When she accepted the offer, it meant life changes for everyone. We would need to move from the only home I had ever known, Arizona. My role within our family changed as well. Our first concern was taking our first-year high school students out of school and the only education environment she’s known that included many childhood friends. My wife and I weren’t very popular with her then, and we both decided that it was important for me to stay at home and play the “Mr. Mom” role to make the transition as smooth as possible for her. Working in construction, all those years prior never afforded me the opportunity I had the first year in Ventura to indulge in being there for my daughter. I enjoyed it immensely.

But like most things with kids, it didn’t last forever. My wife and I spoke, and she challenged me to figure out what truly makes me happy. The very next year, when we purchased her first car, her freedom pushed me to figure out what I would do with all of my free time, so I decided to go back to school in a subject that has always been a passion of mine beer. The Ventura area is a goldmine for breweries and taprooms alike, and I loved the scene. It only made sense. I quickly set out to get my cicerone certification.

While working through the first course (certified beer server), I stumbled across a taproom with this unique self-serve concept. Immediately a light bulb went off in my head. My brother-in-law and I always spoke about business concepts and how we would love to do something together. My wife and I invited he and my sister-in-law out for a visit to Ventura to show them the concept and pitch them the idea; the rest is history. A simple visit to create the vision for Tap That Downtown.

We are very proud to be Arizonas first beer & wine taproom and restaurant. The thirty-five, self-serve tap concept allows you to enjoy a constant rotation of craft beers with a variety of wine and champagne, along with a menu including the freshest ingredients.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I’d say the book that influenced me the most was “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki. It opened my mind up to think a different way when it came to money, management of money, and achieving financial goals.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source for new customers for us has been working with a rewards network group that focuses on business travelers and their needs in different markets when visiting. We joined this network a year ago and it continues to provide us with a constant flow of new patrons to work with.      

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tapthatbeer.com
• Instagram: @tapthatdowntown
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tapthatdowntown

Image Credits
N/A