NJ Coffee School Focuses on Café Financials

Published: November 4, 2024
By Anthony Birritteri, Editor-in-Chief

Read NJ Business Magazine’s full interview with Jim and Bernie, Co-Founder and President at New Jersey Coffee School

How hard can opening a coffee shop be? For the budding entrepreneur who wants to venture into the business – whose idea of opening a local cafe has been “percolating” in their head for quite some time, the first move they should make – in order to discover the real challenges and opportunities in opening a shop – is enrolling in a course at the New Jersey Coffee School in Hoboken.

Founded in November 2022 by co-presidents Jim Conti and Bernie Rosenstein, the school concentrates on all the financial aspects of running a coffee business, in addition to teaching students about the different types of coffee beans and where they are grown, the roasting, grinding and brewing techniques, and the necessary equipment required to make that perfect “cup of joe.”

In listening to Conti and Rosenstein, one quickly learns that opening a café is more than about putting coffee grinds in a filter, pouring water in a machine, and hitting the “on” button. It’s more about startup costs, ongoing labor costs, pricing and margins, shop efficiencies, leases, location, demographics and traffic, branding and marketing costs, nearby competition, and more.

“Most people open a coffee shop because they simply think they can do it, without respecting the venture as a business. But when we conduct our class here, I am like the ‘Scared Straight guy,” Conti says, referring to the 1978 documentary where prison inmates terrified juvenile offenders to set them on the right path and avoid prison.

The school offers a variety of courses, but the main session for those wanting to know the complete ins and outs of running a coffee business is the three-day Professional Coffee Business Class. Day 1 is spent in the school’s onsite coffee shop classroom where students learn about the diverse types of coffee drinks and the ways to make them. Days 2 and 3 are all about the economics of running the business. “That is when you start to see the dream leaving the eyes of some of the students,” Conti says.

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Aug

barista classes near me - New Jersey Coffee School

How Franchises Are Crafting A Memorable Coffee Experience

August 9, 2024

Newsroom

How Franchises Are Crafting A Memorable Coffee Experience

Published: August 9, 2024
By Gary Occhiogrosso

Creating brand awareness has always been and will continue to be a top marketing priority for businesses. The most effective way to achieve this is by delivering a consistently high-quality experience to each customer. Once a customer has a memorable first experience, the goal is to encourage them to return and have an even better experience the next time. Success is ultimately measured by your ability to “steal” consumer habits from other brands by offering a unique experience that can’t be found elsewhere—an experience that customers didn’t know they were missing until your brand introduced them to it.

Regarding the importance of consistent, high-quality coffee and its proper preparation, we sought out Bernie Rosenstein, the President of the New Jersey Coffee School, who offered his insights into the topic. “Given that the majority of sales in a coffee shop will come from repeatable loyal customers, excellent customer service is essential to the success of the business. The New Jersey Coffee School’s training emphasizes that baristas are one of the most important marketing factors for cafe ownership and that they have discernable command of the science of coffee and how optimal taste is obtained throughout a bean’s life cycle.” He continued, saying, “The brand and customer experience of a coffee shop should be based on and consistent with the owner’s concept, core values, and demographics of their target market.”

Enhancing Brand Presence with Retail Merchandise

Branded retail merchandise is a versatile tool that drives awareness and enhances the customer experience. It allows customers to engage with your brand inside and outside the store. For instance, at Bad Ass Coffee, the system-wide average for retail sales, including coffee and merchandise, is over 15% of total sales. The top third of the system even achieves 20-35% of their total sales from retail items. This shows the significant impact that branded merchandise can have on reinforcing brand loyalty and increasing overall sales.

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Mar

Coffee school near New York for professionals

There’s a New Coffee School on Monroe Street in Hoboken

March 21, 2023

Newsroom

There’s a New Coffee School on Monroe Street in Hoboken

Published: March 21, 2023
By Samantha Impaglia, Author

Read on to learn more about New Jersey Coffee School in Monroe Center.

If you’re a café owner, barista, or someone that just loves everything about coffee, there is a new spot in the Mile Square where you can diversify your coffee skills. New Jersey Coffee School, located at 720 Monroe Street Suite C508 in Hoboken, is a new spot where you can participate in a variety of fun, interactive, educational, and hands-on coffee classes in a state-of-the-art coffee lab.

All Things Coffee at NJ Coffee School

New Jersey Coffee School is for all types of java lovers, no matter your experience with coffee. According to the website, the school provides “a wealth of opportunities for you to explore whether you are a potential business owner looking to expand your coffee and business acumen, a budding or existing barista, or a coffee enthusiast wanting to further develop your knowledge and skills”.

The school was founded by lifelong friends James Conti and Bernie Rosenstein, and the team also includes a lineup of five instructors. James is a St. Peter’s University alumnus with a three-decade background in financial services, who also has extensive experience with mentoring and coaching. Bernie spent over 30 years with HBO on financial and strategic objectives before spending several years focusing on various aspects of the coffee industry, including gaining knowledge of the intricacies of the craft and the trade.

The school focuses on community as well as letting you gain the freedom you need to make informed decisions and take control of your own coffee journey. James and Bernie look to “help those who have a vision for their business and personal growth but lack the specific know-how and experience to bring it to fruition”. According to the website, New Jersey Coffee School has one main goal: to assist you to succeed in pursuing your vision and goals within the coffee industry.

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