6 hours for a cup of coffee

Thanks to my friend international retail consultant John Stanley, www.johnstanley.cc for this tale of a coffee shop with a far-travelled reputation.

“Ravensthorpe is a six hour drive south east of Perth in Western Australia. 60% of the population has left in the last few months due to the closure of the nickel mine. This should not be a town for entrepreneurs, but then there is the Stuffed Cocky. 

“I first heard about the Stuffed Cocky in Kojonup, a town about four hours away. A person I was talking to said that it was the best place in the region for coffee. One week later I was in Kalbarri, a six hour drive north of Perth when the name came up again. 

“I have just returned from doing a workshop in Esperance which meant I had to drive through Ravensthorpe on the way. I was really ‘very’ excited about a six hour drive, passing mediocre coffee shops to get to the Stuffed Cocky. The Stuffed Cocky was full and I ordered a Chai tea, something that I would never do outside of Perth. Country cafes in Western Australia are renown for mediocrity. Stuffed Cocky provided excellent coffee and tea. 

“On my return trip I went for lunch and talked to Lisa, the owner, to find out the business had only been open for eight weeks She told me that she opened it because she had to travel two and a half hours to get a decent coffee. 

“What is the message from the Stuffed Cocky?

1. Be excellent with the core element of your business

2. Create a memorable name

3. Encourage the community to talk about you

4. Provide quality food and people will come”