Nestled in Clear Lake, Iowa and sporting a cozy western theme, it is easy to see what makes Cabin Coffee such an appealing place to sit back and relax. Having just recently celebrated their ten year anniversary, owner Brad Barber and his wife have relied on Coffee Shop Manager to help their business grow for almost all ten of those years.
Brad talks about what brought them to Coffee Shop Manager to begin with. “Well, we were open about five months and in the spring of 2003, my wife was reading Specialty Coffee Retailer. Then we saw that Starbucks was going to start using a club card. We were sitting in our bedroom reading and said ‘we have to do this.’ “
Finding CSM was easy enough for them. “My wife Angie found an ad about CSM and decided just seeing the ad was enough. The logo stood out the most and we had to call.” When asked what made him decide to go with CSM, he was very forthcoming. “We aren’t looking for the cheapest thing, but the relationships with our vendors. If we like someone and they are nice and feel like we can communicate well with them, then that is what we want. We just go with the person we like. ”
They then decided that it was the point of sale system they needed. They opened their second store two years later and have since opened a new store every year.
Certain features have helped them out over the years. Starting off, most new businesses’ budgets can be tight. He talks about the loyalty program that drew them in the first place. “No charge on the club cards is the biggest blessing for us. It really made it affordable for us when we first started and didn’t have the extra funds.”
He goes on to explain how CSM has helped them in their day to day operations. “Building the drink on the screen is the best thing. First, it helps us make our transactions quickly and get the customer through the lines quicker. Secondly, it helps the communication with the person through the point of sale. It is very quick and speeds up the process with the operation between the customer and the barista.
Reporting has also been a boon to their business. “CSM has really helped us with our reporting. Detailed flash reports have been a great feature. All the different reports they offer have been really great.
The future seems bright for them and they are excited to continue their relationship with Coffee Shop Manager. “We have grown a lot together and want to continue our ongoing relationship. Ongoing communication is what we love and want to continue to do. Just taking the time to chat.”