Train idea set plan on track
Name: Chris Wilson Career: Cafe owner
Q What jobs did you do before this one?
Well the easy ones are nursing (here in Dunedin and in Guatemala) and counselling (Moana House). Prior to those I was in South America where I was travelling and working with handcrafts.
Q Why did you choose this job?
I have always enjoyed working with people and I enjoy providing service too.
More specifically to the cafe, I am passionate about coffee and I also felt that there was a gap in Dunedin that brought a relaxed atmosphere together with live music, poetry and art.
Q How did you get into it and when?
I first worked in specialty coffee in a cafe in Edinburgh called Artisan Roast in 2010.
The idea to open my own cafe and music venue came to me when I was in Chile returning from a stint of volunteer nursing in Guatemala.
I had no clear plan for what I was going to do when I got back to New Zealand and then I had the idea of a model train going around a cafe and I began building the ideas from there.
Q What qualifications and training did you need?
I needed to know a lot about coffee from cultivation to roasting to extraction.
I knew nothing at all about food, but I was able to get people on board who knew much more than me and were passionate about the project and idea behind Dog With Two Tails.
One of the best skills I have learned is to pull together people who know more than I do about specific areas and to give them the room to make them work well.
Q What personal skills do you need?
Managing people is a huge part of the job.
Maintaining high standards while also maintaining good relationships with staff and providing an enjoyable environment to work in can be a real balancing act, but it pays off in the atmosphere that the team creates.
This also lends itself to organising the music, poetry and other events that we have on every week. Having good cooperative relationships with people is key.
Q Any physical requirements?
Setting the place up was very physically involved as we built the place from scratch.
Now that things are running smoothly things are fairly cruisy.
Q What do you do on a daily basis?
I make coffee and serve customers maybe three days out of the week.
Along with that there is the management of staff, music acts and other events.
Conversation with customers is very important and something I also enjoy.
Q safety Are there any particular health and issues?
None.
Q What is the most challenging aspect?
The first year was harrowing due to the workload at that time but, to be honest, things are much more relaxed these days. Now that we are established and our team works so well, it’s rather enjoyable.
Q What is the most interesting assignment you’ve had?
I find the music to be one of the most interesting aspects of the job.
I am often exposed to bands and musicians who I never would have come across otherwise.
It’s a great part of the job.
Q How has the job changed since you started?
I can’t say that it has.
Q What are the highs of the job?
Working with a great team is something I really appreciate — it’s great to be able to say that I genuinely like and enjoy spending time with everyone who I work with.
We are very lucky with our customers as well. They tend to be very friendly and it’s a lot of fun to interact with them.
Q Where will you be 10 years from now?
I gave up trying to predict the future a long time ago.