Break Coffee Co. and its family of franchisees are redefining the experience of the office coffee break. The company’s business model centers on providing and servicing luxury coffee makers and elevated coffee products to office buildings, allowing employees to enjoy a quality cup of coffee without leaving their workplace. As many people believe, a good cup of coffee can not only provide the energy boost needed to get through the day but can also improve the overall workday experience. By Kelsi Trinidad
Redefining the Coffee Break
Break Coffee Co. and its family of franchisees are redefining the experience of the office coffee break. The company’s business model centers on providing and servicing luxury coffee makers and elevated coffee products to office buildings, allowing employees to enjoy a quality cup of coffee without leaving their workplace. As many people believe, a good cup of coffee can not only provide the energy boost needed to get through the day but can also improve the overall workday experience.
It was important for Break Coffee Co. to create a franchise model that is not only tested but built on extremely predictable systems across all aspects – including marketing spend and output, automating workflows and predicting growth.
“One of the biggest goals when I joined a month ago was just really building a very predictable system so that all of the franchise owners effectively know, if they were to get stuck on an island for a month, would their business still perform?” said CEO John DeYonker. “A big part of that is, ‘How do we make each line item in their business more predictable?’”
Another major goal is helping franchisees place coffee machines in more offices. By sending up to 20,000 automated outbound prospecting emails per franchise location, the corporate team is focused on refining its lead generation strategy to help franchisees expand their client base. The team is building out a dynamic strategy that includes prospecting via LinkedIn, direct mail, sample product gifts and a proprietary lead generation site – all designed to reach decision-makers where they are.
DeYonker built his career in the tech startup before becoming CEO and utilizes this creative spirit to innovate the Break Coffee Co. franchise model. Part of this innovation involves building brand awareness through a content engine that communicates the innovative coffee experience offered by franchisees.
“It’s really two-fold.” DeYonker said. “We want our customers to have the best office coffee experience possible, while creating infrastructure for our franchisees to build big, sustainable businesses. We see a lot of opportunities to use technology to achieve both goals.”
The corporate team also is hard at work establishing national accounts and forming partnerships with local, up-and-coming coffee brands, adding an artisan edge to its offerings while also uplifting a local small business. The latest partnership is a cold brew offering with Washington D.C.-based coffee roaster Commonwealth Joe. Clients receive the cold brew in a kegerator with two taps – one for the classic cold brew and one for a nitro version. Through its partnership with Commonwealth Joe and the special kegerator presentation, Break Coffee Co. is putting its signature spin on this cold brew offering.
DeYonker looks at growth from all angles, and he maintains an attitude that shows there’s no idea too innovative to explore.
“I spent five years at startups and saw what I think ‘good’ looks like,” he said. “I’m trying to replicate a lot of those best practices: testing a lot of things quickly, making a decision and then doubling and tripling down on what works.”
Kelsi Trinidad