Madison, WI | Espresso Royale Caffe

Espresso Royale Caffe
Madison, WI
208
State St, Madison, WI 53703
See it on the BUZZ Map

So... this post is not a denver coffee house, but if they are as good as I think they are, I wouldn't be surprised to see an Espresso Royale Caffe open up in Denver. In a number of business books I've read, authors extol the virtues of the franchise concept (one such book is the eMyth by Gerber. Being a fan of "mom and pop" local coffee houses, I always thought this was one of the limitations (and somewhat of a paradox) for good "local coffee houses," that is, how do you make a successful coffee house "chain", without taking away the individuality and charm of a local shop?

I'm in Madison, WI for business and decided to duck into "Espresso Royale" on 650 State Street http://www.expressoroyale.com. I immediately saw the plaque for the "best local coffee house" on the counter, and was welcomed by a great "local" flair that I have previously only seen on one of a kind local coffee houses, but when I looked for the website, I found out this shop is actually one of more than 20 locations around the country! Espresso Royale has obviously found a good formula for successfully replicating what I feel is the quintesential local coffee shop feel, down to the ripped- up armchair window seating area.

They are obviously doing something right, because there seem to be DOZENS of coffee houses on State street here in Madison, WI, and they appear to be doing quite well. (and of course, they got my stamp of approval :-D...)

Thought of the day: I just spent several days training some of our employees from around the country. Within 3 days, this group of people who had not ever met were a closer and more tightly bonded group than most co-workers, or even friends ever experience. This was due to a very intentional strategy of teambuilding activities and training design. I do this a lot, but it's always amazing to see it in action.

So... my thought for the day is this: Creating a great group dynamic on any type of team is not an accident, but rather a result of intentionally creating opportunities for positive interaction and communication, while implementing a strong and focused shared vision.

This can be done using teambuilding activities, icebreakers, disclosure activities, and creating an environment to enhance the process... It is amazing to see it work! (I recommend Tom Heck and http://www.teachmeteamwork.com)