(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Tim Coonan started his Chicago coffee business modestly by roasting beans in his garage in 2012.
“I would deliver it by bicycle, and people would leave $10 under their geranium,” the former chef said. “And I’d leave them a bag of coffee.”
He must be doing something right. More than a decade later, Coonan’s Big Shoulders Coffee has grown to six locations across the city. It recently received national recognition as “Best Independent Coffee Shop,” in a USA Today Readers’ Choice Poll.
“We have really wonderful coffees that we roast that meet a lot of different price points and a lot of different tastes. It just depends on what your personal preference is,” Coonan told the Noon Business Hour on Thursday.
He said the company’s North Star, besides selling good coffee, is providing excellent customer service. That seems to bring people back on a daily basis, he said.
“My wife and I have done a great job with training and education and hiring and really creating an environment where people care for each other, first,” Coonan said. “And then if we care for each other, we can care for the guest.”
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