Grounds for Success
Roasting great coffee is all about finding the right blend of skills
WHEN CATE MACGREGOR (MBA’14) and her sister, Molly, bought Cape Cod Coffee Roasters in 2011, they planned to just flip the company’s real estate. Instead, they got hooked on the business, learning everything there was to know about roasting and selling gourmet coffee. With a blend of entrepreneurship expertise and enthusiasm, the sisters have invigorated the Massachusetts-based company: they’ve opened a café, enhanced the wholesale business, and expanded to 42 types of beans roasted on the premises. If you want a shot at MacGregor’s job, you’ll have to:
ASK FOR HELP “When we first started, the previous owner stayed on with us to be our coffee consultant. We would rely on him in areas such as production and the back room, in learning about roasting and the coffees.”
FIND YOUR NICHE “I had worked in coffee shops when I was younger, but in terms of in-depth knowledge about coffee, that wasn’t there. Business management and marketing are my strengths, while my sister, Molly, has taken on the coffee production responsibilities. We found our niches within the business, so we utilize our strengths and don’t step on each other’s toes.”
DEFINE ROLES “At first, you might be doing 10 different roles, but if you are able to define those roles as you grow, you can give them to others as you expand the employee base.”
“We are known for, and want to be known for, great coffee. Our investment decisions revolve around this aim.”
Cate MacGregor
TARGET INVESTMENTS “We are known for, and want to be known for, great coffee. Our investment decisions revolve around this aim. We pay more for high-quality, specialty beans and specialized roasting equipment. This gives us the capability to tailor each roast to bring out the best flavor profile of that particular bean. Since our business relies on an agricultural product, when possible, we make decisions with the environment in mind.”
DEVELOP YOUR BRAND “You have to tailor your message to different audiences, but you still want the theme to be the same. The foundation of what we do is to provide great coffee and evoke Cape Cod. When people have our coffee, they take a moment out of their day to relax.”
