Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Alvarado.
Hi Mike, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My sister Emily and I decided to start Split Leaf Coffee in Bountiful, Utah because we wanted a local place to grab a good cup of coffee and support the community we live in. We decided to pull the trigger on the coffee shop when my wife and her sister started a small boutique plant shop, Pistil + Thorn, and they offered to share their space with us. We wanted to create a space that allowed everyone in our community to feel like they belong. We wanted a place for us. To be honest, neither myself or my sister knew what we were doing when it came to coffee, but we knew what we liked in other specialty coffee shops, so we decided to try it out. From the start we wanted everyone to contribute to the improvements made to this space and to our menu. Collaboration is part of who I am, and part of what keeps us pushing to improve everything we do. Without our partnerships and the community support, we would not exist. Although we strive for quality, the thing we hold most importantly is our customer service.
At Split Leaf Coffee we have a lot to offer, but first, we’re all coffee nerds. We are always looking for ways to get better at coffee. Our baristas are pretty incredible. We’re not an automated shop. That means when you get your coffee, we’ve taken the time to make adjustments throughout the day to ensure your drink is as good as possible. We proudly carry Kings Peak Coffee Roasters. Kings Peak is a small batch roaster based out of Salt Lake City. Their quality of coffee is outstanding. The only thing better than their coffee are their people. We carry new & used vinyl records provided by Lavender Vinyl based out of Ogden. Lavender Vinyl is not just an amazing record store, they are pillars in the local LGBTQ community and wonderful people. We have a monthly artist rotation, that allows local artists to sell their art at our shop. It’s amazing the relationships we’ve been able to cultivate over the years, and the lives we’ve impacted in the process, mine included. If you want community in Bountiful, this is it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been easy. We started the business not knowing a lot about the coffee business. We had a lot of learning to do. I remember the second week we were open, we had a customer come in and order a cortado. Our employee at the time had no idea what that was, but they tried, and failed in the eyes of the customer. We were immediately grilled online for it. It was pretty painful. I’ll never forget that. When I shop at a local business, I try to be a little more patient and not so quick to leave negative reviews. You never really know what struggles they’re facing. There’s a personal side of it that hurts when your best doesn’t feel good enough.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m kind of like Batman, I make coffee by night, and work my corporate job during the day. I produce video and photo content for a building materials company full time while also managing the coffee shop with my sister. I’ve learned so much from the business leaders I work with. Their leadership has played such a huge role in developing my leadership skills at Split Leaf Coffee. I’ve also had countless other customer service jobs as well. The one thing I have taken away from the jobs I’ve had, is that the absolute most important thing you should offer is good customer service. It’s all about creating a good customer experience. This is everything for us. I think that’s why people keep coming back. Oh yeah, and the coffee’s pretty good! We have beverages for everyone, whether you’re a coffee drinker or not. Our Matcha and Chai are some of our top sellers. We also have some fun seasonal drinks with syrups made in house.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Find something you’re passionate about and immerse yourself. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who know what they’re doing. Take advantage of opportunities that come your way. Join Reddit and Facebook groups. Attend industry related events. Have an open mind. There’s no such thing as failure if you try. Even when it’s not working out, take that lesson and use it for your next venture. Don’t ever give up. Surround yourself with people who care about you. Take advantage when unique opportunities come your way. And always be willing to learn.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://splitleafcoffee.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/split_leaf_coffee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/splitleafcoffee/
