Max left a 6-figure corporate job. Stephen walked away from a high-paying sales role. Together, they built Ravello's Coffee Catering from a single cart at a church camp into one of Columbus's fastest-growing mobile coffee businesses.
In this episode, Zach and Justin sit down with Max and Stephen to break down the full story: the viral Biscoff Latte that put them on the map, why they opened a coffee shop (against everyone's advice), and how they're building systems to scale without being in the weeds every day.
Whether you're starting your first cart or scaling your catering operation, this one is packed with real numbers and hard lessons.
Check out Ravello's Coffee: ravellos.coffee
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:09 - Meet Max and Stephen from Ravello's Coffee CateringÂ
01:11 - Starting as a Side Hustle During Parental LeaveÂ
01:49 - The Story Behind the Name "Ravello"Â
02:33 - First Equipment Setup (GS3 and E65)Â
03:00 - Their First Event and What Went WrongÂ
03:53 - How Flashquotes Became a Game ChangerÂ
05:24 - Pop-Ups at Express HQÂ
06:25 - The Viral Biscoff Latte That Started Everything
 08:33 - Quitting Corporate to Go Full-TimeÂ
09:30 - Breaking the Rules of Coffee Catering
 11:19 - Using Community Influencers to GrowÂ
14:41 - Why They Opened a Coffee Shop
 16:34 - Monthly Drink Drops and Social StrategyÂ
17:05 - Celebrity Visitors and Free PromotionÂ
20:45 - Using the Cafe as a Marketing Tool for CateringÂ
23:02 - Switching Equipment and Optimizing Cart SetupÂ
24:55 - Scaling From 1 to 4 CartsÂ
28:21 - Team Dynamics: Gas, Brakes, and Nitrous
30:55 - Booking 250+ Events: The Real NumbersÂ
32:46 - Where Their Leads Actually Come FromÂ
37:49 - Growth Challenges and Hard LessonsÂ
40:07 - Managing 16 Employees and Split AttentionÂ
43:44 - Building Systems That Run Without YouÂ
45:32 - Maintaining a 4.9 Star Rating at ScaleÂ
46:30 - Training Baristas for Catering Events
đź”§ RESOURCES MENTIONED
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2F25CDC/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0F2F25CDC&pd_rd_w=6lrnD&content-id=amzn1.sym.8c2f9165-8e93-42a1-8313-73d3809141a2&pf_rd_p=8c2f9165-8e93-42a1-8313-73d3809141a2&pf_rd_r=NK41WSG2K7VESDZE4WK4&pd_rd_wg=bl6LW&pd_rd_r=ae7c2744-c0fb-4a9c-ae1e-83c41505421e&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw
đź“… UPCOMING EVENTS
* Level 5 Live — June 25th, Denver | https://www.levelfivelive.com/
🚀 ABOUT FLASHQUOTES
FlashQuotes is the #1 software for mobile catering businesses — built to help you get more leads, send faster quotes, and book more events. Used by coffee carts, boba bars, and mobile caterers across the US.
👉 Start free: http://flashquotes.com