Today we’d like to introduce you to Om Shrestha.
Om, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. Some of my earliest memories are of watching my father run the family tobacco business. I knew at an early age that I wanted to operate my own company someday as well. Nevertheless, education is highly valued in Nepali culture, and my family encouraged me to go to university before trying to set out on my own path. To that end, I came to the United States in 1997 to attend Northeastern University, where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems.
When I graduated in 2002, job offers in the technology sector were scarce as a result of the “tech bubble” collapse in early 2000. As a result, I decided to pursue an opportunity in a field I’d always been passionate about, the coffee industry. Starting on the “ground floor” as a barista in an established, local, successful coffee shop, I worked my way through every position in the operation over the next decade, slowly learning the intricacies of the business from the various types and flavors of coffee beans from around the world to the strategic and administrative aspects of running the café.
During my tenure with this first café, I found that my passion for outstanding coffee was surpassed only by my passion for the daily interaction with the shop’s patrons, regulars and newcomers alike. I was hooked on coffee and the hospitality business in general, and I knew that someday I had to establish my own friendly, funky, happy coffee shop!
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?
For two or three years before I landed here at Kaffmandu, I would visit area coffee shops that were either closing or being offered for sale, mostly due to the impending retirement of a sole-proprietor owner. I felt it was important to start with an existing business so there’d be a built-in customer base and revenue flow from day one. As you can imagine, though, opportunities like these don’t come along every day, and it’s even rarer to find one in a place that offers a substantial, vibrant, diverse and friendly population combined with a quaint, quirky, energetic, “Main Street” location that has a positive vibe. However, in 2013, I came across this exact set of circumstances at the former Custom Cup Coffee Shop in Danvers, MA. I negotiated the purchase with the retiring owner and assumed the business in November of that year.
Right away I faced two or three matters that I wanted to address. First of all, I believed the shop was underperforming its potential. I believed the keys to driving increased traffic and sales were to improve the quality of the coffee and food items being offered, and to create a relaxed, inviting atmosphere where people could unwind and recharge. To address the former, I immediately began brewing beverages made from the most flavorful, Fair Trade, organic coffee beans from around the world. Truthfully, though, I kept the one “commercial” grind that had made up 90% of the prior owner’s revenue as I didn’t want to change “too much, too fast” for the long-time customers.
I thought I’d let them sample and migrate, at their own pace, over to the much fresher, more flavorful coffees available. Sure enough, within a year I was no longer ordering the commercial grind, and I don’t think we’ve lost even a single one of our “legacy” customers! The second issue, creating a more relaxed, inviting atmosphere, was a bit of a longer-term process as it required building a complete staff of warm, friendly, outgoing people. It’s been an adventure, but I can say without reservation that I am proud of the effort and assistance I get from my entire team each and every day, and I know that they’re a big part of the reason people regularly patronize the shop.
Three months after I’d assumed ownership of my new shop and my wonderful patrons had become more familiar with me and the coffees I was offering, in February of 2014, I took the final step of renaming and rebranding the business with the name KAFFMANDU, an homage that reflects both what we do and a bit of my heritage.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Kaffmandu Coffee House – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
In addition to serving the best coffee available, what sets Kaffmandu apart is that we offer an entire “coffee experience”. That experience begins with a warm, friendly greeting every time you visit. One of the things I pride myself on is that I greet almost every one of my regular patrons on a first name basis. That’s because the people who come into my shop aren’t just customers, they’re friends and I want them to feel like a guest in my home when they visit. Our guests also like that we keep things light and fun.
They not only enjoy our amazingly rich coffees and specialty espresso beverages, but they have a lot of fun ordering their favorite drinks with names like Annapurna Express, Himalayan Brew, Buddha’s Dream, and Panda-mochium (a white and dark chocolate mocha). If we can make someone smile or give them a quick laugh while they’re in the shop, then we’ve done our job. And after they’ve ordered and taken a seat, we love that people enjoy the “music du jour” in the café, where a different genre plays daily…… Oldies Monday, Reggae Friday, Jazzy Blues Saturday. That’s another part of the fun…… we have certain customers who make special trips to see us just based on the music of the day!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Well, I have one customer who keeps telling me I should franchise Kaffmandu across the country! The problem with that is that I can only be in one place at a time. But seriously, our mission at Kaffmandu is simply to bring great coffee and a little bit of joy into the lives of as many people as possible every single day. That is the goal, and that is what we will keep striving towards. I feel so blessed at the way the Danvers community has embraced me and the business, and I hope to reflect that love and respect back with every personal interaction. That is the plan for the future, and that is the plan that the entire staff at Kaffmandu hopes will keep us relevant and flourishing for years to come.
Contact Info:
- Address: 8 Maple Street Danvers, MA 01923
- Website: www.kaffmandu.com
- Phone: 978-777-3106
- Email: om@kaffmandu.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kaffmandu-Coffee-House-1406194492954723/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kaffmandu-coffee-house-danvers-2
Image Credit:
Ali Barker
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