370: Founder Friday! w/ Tony Dreyfuss of Metropolis Coffee Company, Chicago, Illinois

I am excited to present to you another great interview with an inspirational founder! This time we get to hear the story of the founding an development of a business that has long been a pillar of specialty coffee in the U.S.. We are talking with Tony Dreyfuss, Co-Founder of the award winning Metropolis Coffee Company! Tony started Metropolis Coffee with his Father Jeff Dreyfuss in 2003 and they continue to own and run it to this day. In the span of 2 decades Metropolis has established itself as both an iconic specialty coffee roaster and shop, winning many awards for its coffee and overall business, but also as a pillar of the community it serves in Chicago. The values and passion for of diversity, quality, and locally rooted service are the foundations that make Metropolis as effective and successful as they are. Today we will be diving into the story of Metropolis as we talk with Tony about everything from his first exposure to coffee and getting hooked on the scene- to founding and growing Metropolis with all the high and low points along the way. We cover: Discovering coffee and becoming a coffee guy Experiences at Pete's and planning his own shop First steps into coffee as a career and then as an owner Working with family and building the brand Using experience + Learning new business lessons Coffee offerings then and now Inclusivity model and hiring nice people Cultural diversity and a people first approach Learning from mistakes and embracing authenticity Thoughts on the industry shift toward accessible offerings Most important issue in coffee right now Links: https://www.metropoliscoffee.com/ Metropolis Coffee Instagram @metropoliscoffeeco Related Episodes: 366: A Conversation w/ Chris Baca of Cat and Cloud Coffee 204 : Founder Friday w/ Jeff Taylor of PT's Coffee Roasting Co. & Bird Rock Coffee! 075 : Founder Friday w/Jill Killen of Cloud City Coffee, Seattle Washington 329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff 282 : How to Listen to your Customers 367 : Designing Your Coffee Shop for Community w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman Your Peers are not your Customers Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com