Cafe Business with Ty Paluska
Ty Paluska is the Co-owner and Café Manager of thirty-thirty Coffee Co. Paluska and his cafe business partners selected the café’s name because between 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south of the equator is ideal for coffee growing.
Watch Ty answer a couple of my questions over Skype, and read more afterward!
Sam's Dream Blog: What makes your product and service/environment stand out?
Ty Paluska: For starters, the location. We picked our building because everyone in Peoria (Ill.) seems to know and love "the triangle building" that sits on the corner of Main and Glendale across from Methodist Hospital. We didn't skip any details on redoing the inside. We wanted people to first feel like this was unlike any other cafe business they've ever been in. That way, when they come to our menu and see what we are doing, they will immediately see that our product is just as unique as our atmosphere.
There aren't any other cafes in town that specialize in as many hand-brew (one cup at a time) methods as we do. We are not only highlighting different coffees from around the world but also how each cup can taste different because of how it’s brewed. Most cafes do what's called "drip" coffee. We do drip, French press, Chemex, and a new method called a pour-over. We grind the beans fresh to order for each cup and make it one cup at a time. It takes three minutes and makes an absolutely fantastic, smooth, clean cup.
Lastly, the knowledge of our product and the customer service aspect of each one of our employees is second to none in the industry. Everyone on our staff is equally passionate and knowledgeable about coffee and what we are providing at thirty-thirty Coffee Co.
SDB: Talk about working with your partners. What are each person's responsibilities?
Ty Paluska: My seven years in the cafe business both as a barista and manager bring experience and organization. Also the network of people that I've made over the years with music, artists, equipment services, etc. help in providing the tools necessary to operate a successful cafe.
Daniel Williamson brings with him five years of experience as a barista and also a year of learning the roasting trade. This vital skill has enabled us to offer artisan roasted beans which will separate us from anyone in town.
With his knowledge and skill we don't have to use a computerized method to roast our beans. This also gives us the know-how to operate a wholesale cafe business, providing beans to other cafes and restaurants.
With the added help of former business owner Steve Elmore, now a C-5 ? C-6 quadriplegic after an automobile accident, we had the final piece of the puzzle. Steve and his wife Haly were regulars at a cafe that Dan and I used to work at. Steve brings with him a love for coffee but more importantly QuickBooks know-how and back office skills that Dan and I don't have. This gives us the opportunity to all focus on what we are good at.
SDB:What's your dream for the future of your cafe business?
Ty Paluska: We hope to have a few more locations across the country, keeping it small and not franchising. More importantly, we want to get into direct trade coffee. We would build and establish personal relationships with farmers across the globe and buy our coffee direct from them, cutting out all the middlemen in between. This not only gives the farmer and his or her community/family farm more money, but it also helps to ensure quality.
If you are in Peoria, stop by thirty-thirty Coffee Co. Otherwise read more about Ty's dream on the company's Web site.