Rocky Mountain Roasting Company – A Family Business With an Extended Family

In 1992, when Hal and Cristina Berg opened a small coffeehouse on Mendenhall they were simply hoping to "make their family business fly." Now — with a total of five retail locations, a distribution chain that includes fine restaurants and grocery stores, nationwide Internet and catalog sales, and a warehouse office and roasting facility — Rocky Mountain Roasting Co. http://www.rockymountainroasting.com/ is still a family business, contends Hal; it’s just that the family is extended now.

By Jeannie Counce Bozeman Chronicle

Most coffee shops are family-oriented, Hal said, noting that publicly traded Starbucks began much the same way. He credits his family, long-time Bozeman residents, for helping with everything from financial to moral support. "They are definitely our best advertisers," he said.

But Hal is quick to extend his gratitude beyond bloodlines.

"It’s the employees who make the difference in our business without a doubt," he said, adding that most of Rocky Mountain Roasting Co.’s 65 employees feel like family. "Many of the same high school and college kids come work for us every summer," said Cristina. "We’ve seen people get married, have kids, and make big groups of friends."

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Rocky Mountain Roasting

2308 N 7th Ave Suite A

Bozeman, MT 59715

[email protected]

Phone: 800-428-5282,

(406)586-6116

Fax: (406)586-6329

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There’s a palpable feeling of camaraderie in each coffeehouse, unique to the group of enthusiastic young people working there. Photos recollecting good times are hung on the walls and in at least one location a cartoon drawing behind the counter depicts the "777 crew." It’s nearly impossible to walk into a Rocky Mountain Roasting Co. location without receiving a friendly greeting — even from the employee mopping the floor.

But frontline employees aren’t the only ones who enjoy interacting with each other and the customers. In the warehouse facility Marilyn Juntunen and Helen Naffziger help Cristina with the accounting and office work, as well as handle non-retail sales.

"We had a customer from the Midwest stop on his drive to Seattle so he could meet Marilyn," recalled Cristina. "He had so much fun dealing with her on the phone every month when he placed his order, he wanted to meet her in person."

Both Helen and Marilyn have been integrally involved in the company’s evolving growth.

"It feels good to see their success," observed Helen, who also runs a small business with her husband.

Good Coffee, Great Atmosphere

Aside from being "fun, nice ‘real’ people," Rocky Mountain Roasting Company’s employees are well educated on coffee, Hal said. Some come with a coffee education; others attain it.

"Our roasters hold workshops to demonstrate the process" and explain the many subtleties of timing and flavor, he said. "We also encourage them to drink our coffee and see for themselves," added Cristina.

Combine a friendly, caffeinated workforce with quality, hand-roasted coffee and warm, inviting coffeehouse and you’ve got a recipe for a lot of regular customers. The coffeehouses could double as sets for the TV show Cheers, according to Cristina, noting that many regulars are greeted as they arrive in the morning and have their coffee waiting for them.

"One customer hung out so long each day — armed with the paper and his laptop — he began joking that the store was his office," she said.

With tables and booths, or soft sofas and chairs, music, and a selection of reading material, each store reflects its specific neighborhood environment and invites customers to sit and sip for as long as they like. There’s occasional live music and countless informal groups of mothers, writers, scrabble players, business people, and students hold regular gatherings.

In addition to the unique ambiance of each location, Rocky Mountain Roasting Co. offers a variety of reasons for customers to return again and again. This spring the company offered a series of lectures by local etymologist Christi the Wordsmith; Rocky Mountain Roasting Co. is the national sponsor for Christi’s segments broadcast on National Public Radio.

"We’ve found that the customers will tell you what they want — if you’re not paying attention, then something’s wrong," Hal said. And while it’s not always easy reconciling customer needs with business decisions, "You have to treat the customers as if you want to see them again tomorrow — and we do."

Quality, Hard Work, and the Competition

But will Rocky Mountain Roasting Co. continue to see the same customers once Starbucks and the national franchise coffeehouses come to town?

"People ask us if we’re worried," said Hal of the competition’s eminent move into the growing Gallatin Valley. "I think we’ll do better. Competition keeps you striving to do better."

Rocky Mountain Roasting Co. is one of a handful of coffeehouses in Montana that roast their own coffee, making what Hal believes is a superior product. He also noted that there are about 10 to 15 roasters in Montana and only about a half a dozen of them have been around for more than 10 years.

"Plus, we have great employees," he said. "That’s quality, and as my grandfather used to say, ‘Quality has no compromise.’"

The Berg patriarch whose words still ring true watches over the office from a large black-and-white portrait. Hal points to the photograph — and one of his grandfather’s best buddy and close family friend — as ever-present reminders of the family’s commitment to quality.

In the Berg’s case, quality comes from hard work and a willingness to spend some time on the learning curve.

"We’ve learned a lot," recalled Cristina. "From all about coffee and roasting to how to snake out a toilet," she said.

"When we opened our first store we knew we were willing to work hard," said Hal, who explains that he and his wife-to-be met working in a Minnesota resort and took in Twins games from the cheap seats on dates. The two are obviously well suited to work together, something that many outsiders wonder about.

"We’ve always worked together," said Cristina. "I never even thought about it until people started asking about it."

When asked if she’s surprised by their success, she says the slow process has taken some of the surprise out of it.

"Looking back, I’m surprised by how far we’ve come, but it’s not like we couldn’t do it," Cristina said.

"We didn’t ever plan on having five stores — or ten or whatever," added Hal. "It just keeps evolving."

Where will the evolution take them?

"We just keep going along," Hal said. "We still live day-to-day, want to get our kids through college, and continue to expand — maybe retire one day."

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2003/07/27/business/01lead.txt