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 Catering
01:11 - Starting as a Side Hustle During Parental Leave
01:49 - The Story Behind the Name "Ravello"
02:33 - First Equipment Setup (GS3 and E65)
03:00 - Their First Event and What Went Wrong
03:53 - How Flashquotes Became a Game Changer
05:24 - Pop-Ups at Express HQ
06:25 - The Viral Biscoff Latte That Started Everything
08:33 - Quitting Corporate to Go Full-Time
09:30 - Breaking the Rules of Coffee Catering
11:19 - Using Community Influencers to Grow
14:41 - Why They Opened a Coffee Shop
16:34 - Monthly Drink Drops and Social Strategy
17:05 - Celebrity Visitors and Free Promotion
20:45 - Using the Cafe as a Marketing Tool for Catering
23:02 - Switching Equipment and Optimizing Cart Setup
24:55 - Scaling From 1 to 4 Carts
28:21 - Team Dynamics: Gas, Brakes, and Nitrous
30:55 - Booking 250+ Events: The Real Numbers
32:46 - Where Their Leads Actually Come From
37:49 - Growth Challenges and Hard Lessons
40:07 - Managing 16 Employees and Split Attention
43:44 - Building Systems That Run Without You
45:32 - Maintaining a 4.9 Star Rating at Scale
46:30 - Training Baristas for Catering Events
🔧 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
📅 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