Blue Bottle Coffee and the Next Wave of Artisanal Coffee Shops

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives.

Description: This is going to be pleasant. We are going to talk about philosophy and classical music. We are going to appreciate things. I know this before I even see Blue Bottle Coffee founder James Freeman approach in his cardigan, tie, and glasses, a neat puff of gray hair bobbing professorially, looking like the guy PBS producers would have sent in to calm Mr. Rogers down. I anticipated the civility simply by looking around his new cafe in Oakland, Calif. Everything is tidy. Calm. Simple. Exact. You cannot order your espresso to go, choose a beverage size, or get your bag of coffee beans pre-ground. Oh no. This is not because Freeman wants to inform you of his superior ways but because he can’t bear to be responsible for an imperfect experience. Because he so deeply cares.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: May 01, 2014

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-01/blue-bottle-coffee-and-the-next-wave-of-artisanal-coffee-shops

Questions for discussion:

  • What did you learn about the management and leadership styles of James Freeman?
  • Why do you suppose he has been an entrepreneurial success?

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