‘Our main coffee business has disappeared but we’re still busy’
The chatter of bustling coffee shops may have fallen silent in the shutdown, putting thousands of jobs at risk. But a new venture is trying to save cafes and enable them to maintain relationships with customers by selling customised coffee online. Behind the scheme is Fergus Brown of Roasted Brown, who reports some rare good news these days with a 1,400% increase in online sales. Tell us about the new venture, Fergus? ‘Our Shop is Their Shop’ campaign allows Roasted Brown coffee drinkers buying online to nominate their usual coffee shop and buy from them, via Roasted Brown, who process the sale on behalf of the cafes. With orders coming to a standstill following the closure of many businesses it supplies, the company has moved to sell its coffee online, offer a delivery service and has made more coffee products available for sale online.
Who’s buying all this coffee?
Sales are being made across the country, with Dublin and Wicklow among the strongest.
How is the coffee business?
The coffee business is always hard to read, with coffee becoming more and more of a habit than ever. It’s easy to think that it’s flying and in the context of being a roaster or a coffee shop, business is very good. In the context of being a coffee farmer or producer the answer isn’t as straight forward. There are still a lot of underhand deals going on and many roasters don’t know they’re part of it.
How are you coping with a 1,400% increase in online/mail-order business?
Considering our main business has now 100% disappeared it’s very manageable! We’re primarily a wholesale business with a bit of online. Now we’re a very busy online shop trying to help our wholesale customers and trying to keep some sales. It’s busy – about 10 times more work dealing with so many individual orders and special requests so it takes quite a bit of readjusting but we’re definitely getting there.
Why did you get into the coffee business?
Well, I’ve been drinking it since I was about three years old. I’d awfully irresponsible parents! I’m a sound engineer by trade but an incident that damaged my ears drove me to search out another love. I’ve always loved coffee shop culture and have always enjoyed travels through developing nations, so coffee roasting ticked a lot of these boxes. So it started with a coffee cart at markets, then a coffee shop in Temple Bar and a cafe on Talbot street to now running a coffee roastery and wholesale business.
Why do we drink so much coffee?
It’s delicious and it’s addictive for a start but its also something we all
What businesses will do well in post-Covid world?
I really hope hospitality will. It’s been an awful blow and I think many will be fighting to get back to normal for many, many months. I think there’ll be very natural growth in all online shopping as many more are getting used to it now than would have before. I hate to say it, but I think the banks will do very well through expensive overdrafts and loans that wouldn’t have been needed otherwise.
What businesses will do poorly?
Any business that needs credit to get the wheels turning again might be in for a shock, I think this is when many will realise they’re in trouble. It’s one thing to coast through this carefully but it’s another to get up and running again with less money in people’s pockets, fewer people in employment and loans needed to trade again.
Is Ireland a good place to do business?
Absolutely! I’ve had two successful coffee shops and now run a business of my dreams. It’s not an easy country to do business in though, rents are way too high and rates can be so unreasonable, but if you plan well and do your homework you can really make things work.
What is your best investment?
My family and my business.
What was your worst?
‘High-interest’ bank accounts.
Where are you ever scammed/ ripped off?
Yes. My email was hacked and about €7,000 in payments was intercepted by a hacker!
What did your parents teach you about money?
If you want to succeed you’ll need to work incredibly hard and make very calculated decisions.
What’s the most expensive thing you bought for fun?
My house and I’ll be paying for it for a very long time.