Interview with Cisco Lopez, chef/owner
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: After working for numerous big corporate jobs, I wanted to open up my own small business and set out with a goal to really keep a mom-and-pop mentality. While looking for businesses for sale, I came across a small coffee shop that had previously been a restaurant, a breakfast/lunch cafe inside of a coffee shop, and it worked out really well.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: I would have to say that we have really tried to keep to our coffee shop roots throughout our growth and, while we have excelled as a restaurant, I think we do a pretty good job at syncing the two operations into one.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: I really like getting to know our regular customers. Because of the coffee shop aspect, we get a lot of customers that stop by on a daily basis, whether it be for coffee or food or both. This gives us a lot of time to get to know them, and the interaction is a more personal one where you get more honest feedback and critiques. We also constantly get ideas for menu specials and drink specials from our more open customers.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: Each new location has been different for us, with improvements constantly getting worked in from prior locations. This one is no exception to that rule. We broke out of our routine and instead of being a cafe inside of a coffee shop, we now have a restaurant on one side and a coffee shop on the other. Getting that to flow and directing traffic smoothly have been a little tricky until now.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: Occasionally there are dishes that get named after special people, usually customers. For the first time ever we have a dish named after a family member; the “Little Frankie” is named after my firstborn, 1-year-old son.
Profile
Business: The French Press
Address: 7323 W. Alaska Drive, Lakewood
Hours: 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Founded: 2010
Contact: 303-984-5447,
Employees: 15
