Today we’d like to introduce you to Connor Nerat.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Connor. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story at Spill the Beans started back in August of 2017. I was working at another coffee shop but came in one morning to visit a friend of mine who was the shop’s lead barista at the time. STB had opened only a few weeks prior and I wanted to check out SD’s newest coffee/bagel shop for myself. I instantly fell in love with space and loved the shop’s open air windows, upbeat music, and homemade California-style bagels. I hadn’t been into another coffee shop quite like it in San Diego. After chatting with my friend for a bit, she explained to me that they were currently looking to hire on another barista, and I instantly jumped on the opportunity to join the team. I initially started as a part time barista, but as Spill, the Beans quickly grew, so did the opportunities.
In December 2017, I was promoted to Store Manager. I had worked in culinary leadership for five years and in coffee for two years at that point, so I felt confident that I could leave a positive impact at STB. Fast forward to today, Spill the Beans has grown into a brand of its own. We revamped our menu, added our well known Pot Head sign, launched our retail program and are currently hard at work developing our second location. The future is bright for Spill the Beans, and I’ve been honored to be a part of the journey.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There were absolutely challenges and struggles along the way, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without those challenges. From early on, one of the biggest struggles was forming a consistent team of core baristas and supervisors. Turnover, no matter how great the shop’s workplace culture is, can always present a problem especially for a small shop. Once that team is formed though, it’s amazing how organically ideas are generated, trust is built and the business grows. And once you have your core team by your side, any challenge or obstacle is that much easier to get past and overcome. Through those challenges, you learn and you adapt.
Adaptability has also been a huge part of Spill the Beans’ success. When STB opened, our menu was limited to only 6 bagel flavors and coffee classics such as drip coffee, cappuccinos, lattes and cortados. While they were all great options, we noticed our customers were looking for a bigger variety of food and drink options to choose from. We added our ‘House Favorites’- a variety of handcrafted flavored lattes that are unique to Spill the Beans. We also expanded our bagel menu, added lunch options like our BLT and Smoking Turk bagel sandwiches, launched our breakfast bowls and expanded our tea menu. We did this all while streamlining our operations and focusing on being as efficient as possible.
Tell us more about the business.
At Spill the Beans, our goal is to create a fun, one of a kind, breakfast & coffee experience. We’re known for our one of a kind California-style bagels, which are bigger and less dense than an east coast style bagel as well as our menu of handcrafted coffee and tea based drinks. We provide ourselves in creating a fun, upbeat atmosphere with our open air windows, throwback music and good vibes attitude. We’ve grown from a small hole in the wall to a growing, fast paced breakfast spot. We are hard at work on our second location which will be opening in early 2020 and hopefully more locations in the future.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think that being lucky and being successful are the same. That’s not to say that success is created by being lucky or that those who aren’t successful must have bad luck. What I mean by that is- luck is all about identifying an opportunity and quickly acting on it. That’s exactly what it takes to be successful- identify your opportunities and know how to quickly act on them. That’s how I ultimately joined the Spill the Beans team- I visited the shop to see my friend who was the lead barista, found out they were hiring, then immediately inquired about applying for the role. That’s just one example of how “luck” has helped me in my career, and ultimately if I hadn’t done so or I waited too long to pursue the job, I most likely wouldn’t be where I’m at today.
Contact Info:
- Address: 555 Market St., San Diego, CA 92101
- Website: www.spillthebeanssd.com
- Phone: (619) 233-3836
- Email: info@spillthebeanssd.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/spillthebeanssd
- Facebook: N/A
- Twitter: N/A
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/6alKQUOTm2
Image Credit:
Walter Wilson Studios
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