In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Scott Snyder, the CEO of Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii. This 32-unit chain has been around since 1989, but Scott was part of a group that bought it in 2019 and has spent the past four years figuring out how Bad Ass Coffee can embrace its quirky and evocative branding and deliver the experience of “aloha” to its guests in and out of its shops. A big piece of this puzzle is Bad Ass Coffee’s omnichannel sales strategy that sees it investing in retail and merchandise, and Scott joined the podcast to talk about how shirts, hats and mugs adorned with the concept’s winking donkey logo have become as critical to the Bad Ass Coffee experience as its products and its store design.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• The experience your restaurant provides should be authentic to your brand
• There is value in your brand’s “ownable truths”
• You should have a consistent interpretation of your brand
• Merchandise is an underrated way to drive sales without increasing labor 
• Merch can help you link experiences to the brand
• An e-commerce strategy can help drive customers to stores from day one

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].