From the Business First

:http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/print-edition/2014/05/09/sunergos-
coffee-s-emphasis-on-quality-leads-to.html
SUBSCRIBER CONTENT: May 9, 2014, 6:00am EDT
Small Business Snapshot
Sunergos Coffees emphasis on quality
leads to national acclaim
Shannon Clinton, Correspondent
The name Sunergos Coffee, once deciphered, reveals the Louisville companys philosophy on
many levels.
Sunergos is a Greek word meaning working together, said Brian Miller, 37, who owns the
company with Matthew Huested, 43.
In the most basic sense, it just represents the community aspects of working together in
the coffee realm and being part of the community, Miller said. Outside us and beyond
us ... its bringing coffee from its origins where its grown to presenting it in a cup to the
customer.
The men were church acquaintances who found a shared interest in roasting their own
coffee, first as home hobbyists then eventually opening a location on Preston Street in
September 2004.
The initial launch was followed by a Woodlawn Avenue store in July 2010 and a Fifth Street
shop in July 2012.
Huested oversees wholesale operations while Miller steers the retail side of the company.
They were the sole employees for the companys first four months, doing the buildout on
their first coffee shop along with cleaning, fixing toilets, roasting beans, making coffee and
other tasks.
Caffeinated beverages came in handy, as Huested said he and Miller each worked 96 hours
a week, six days a week the first year and a half without a steady paycheck. They split
whatever tips they had left over at the end of each workday.
When we dropped down to 70 hours a week, we felt like we were on a vacation all the
time, Huested said, adding that they each work about 50 hours a week now.
Page 1 of 4 Sunergos Coffees emphasis on quality leads to national acclaim - Louisville - Business F...
5/9/2014 http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/print-edition/2014/05/09/sunergos-coffee-s-emphasis...
They hired their first employee in early 2005, and decided to split any revenue three ways at
that point.
Over the months that followed, they hired another employee every few months as needs
dictated, and now they have two full-time salaried staff members in addition to themselves,
12 full-time hourly employees and nine or so part-time workers among the three locations.
The owners expect to open more coffee shops in the future, but there are no specific plans
right now.
Instead, their current focus is one growing the wholesale and roastery aspects of the
business.
Roasting lots of coffee beans
Revenue growth accompanied those hirings, and the business is doing well. But the owners
declined to disclose revenue.
They did point out that their roasting operations have grown as well.
After a few years, a smaller roaster at the Preston Street location could not meet demand,
so they bought a larger one and operated it out of a warehouse until it was relocated to the
Woodlawn store.
The Preston Street roaster still is used for small batch and sample roastings, and the Fifth
Street location does not have a roaster on site.
In all, Huested said, Sunergos roasts about 1,800 pounds of beans a week, but he expects
to exceed 2,000 pounds per week by years end.
Miller said the stores have full espresso bars and espresso-based drinks such as lattes and
cappuccinos.
Coffees are made via drip brew, manual brew and pour-over methods, and roasted beans
are sold in one pound and half-pound bags.
And there are loose leaf teas as well as a small assortment of baked goods made by the
Louisville coffee shop and caf Please and Thank You.
Bean source is important to coffee flavor
Huested said the company focuses on acquiring coffee beans from single origins, not a mix
of beans from different sources, to provide customers with coffee worthy of thoughtful
tasting.
Sunergos gets its beans from more than 20 countries. And when a coffee is of exceptional
quality, its useful to know where it came from, he added.
Page 2 of 4 Sunergos Coffees emphasis on quality leads to national acclaim - Louisville - Business F...
5/9/2014 http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/print-edition/2014/05/09/sunergos-coffee-s-emphasis...
Its crafting something that has connectivity all the way back to its point of origin, Huested
said, noting that coffees flavor can be determined by factors such as how a farmer grows
and processes the beans. Thats the thing that really excites us.
Getting some attention
Miller and Huested said their strategies from the outset have been focusing on quality and
hospitality to bring customers in while also being frugal in pricing and expenditures.
Marketing stems mostly from word of mouth and social media.
Their strategies are working. Last year, Sunergos won an Americas Best Espresso award
from the coffee industry trade group Coffee Fest.
Sunergos sponsors a team of its baristas who compete nationally and internationally, and
The Daily Meal ( www.thedailymeal.com) recently ranked the company No. 14 on its list of
the top 50 coffee shops in the nation.
Sunergos also was dubbed Kentuckys Top Coffee Shop by the travel guide Zagat in 2013.
Owners enjoy their product
Both Miller and Huested admit to drinking a lot of coffee each day.
Guatemala Antigua is one of Huesteds longtime favorites, while Miller favors Ethiopian and
Sumatran varieties.
Though they prefer their coffee black, without cream, sugar or flavorings, they dont mind if
customers doctor up their cups.
Coffee is a pleasure drink, Huested said. Even though we are great advocates of drinking
it where you can taste its nuances and unique characteristics, at the end of the day you
should drink coffee how you enjoy it.
Coffee consulting is growing part of Sunergos services
When selling their Sunergos brand coffee beans to restaurants, cafes and other coffee
shops, Miller and Huested want to ensure that the coffee is made using the right equipment
in the right way by people who care about the craftsmanship in every cup.
Sunergos Coffee was founded in 2003 as a coffee roasting company, and the training
element began early on, even before they decided to open retail locations, Huested said.
Id say about 45 percent of our business is consulting and training and wholesale supply
along with equipment servicing, he said. It really allows us to be a one-stop shop for
necessary technical skills and equipment.
Huested said the equipment used in making coffee- or espresso-based drinks is a servant
to the coffee meaning that as great as the beans and the roasting of them may be,
improper handling can impair quality in the final presentation.
Page 3 of 4 Sunergos Coffees emphasis on quality leads to national acclaim - Louisville - Business F...
5/9/2014 http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/print-edition/2014/05/09/sunergos-coffee-s-emphasis...
Thats why budding baristas are trained to use their equipment and are taught proper
espresso and coffee preparation, brewing ratios and grinding techniques.
They also are trained to maintain a clean, efficient and well-managed operation.
The training is available to anyone using Sunergos products, Huested said. But there are
different training levels and terms available for clients buying products from Sunergos,
depending upon purchasing volumes.
Huested, Miller and a small training team on staff conduct training as far away as New York
City, though the majority of accounts fall within a 200-mile radius of Louisville.
Sometimes clients travel to them for on-site training in Sunergos stores.
Typically, to get out of the gate strong, we do two to three sessions, and that can easily
equal an average of nine hours of initial training, then that has quarterly follow-ups,
Huested said.
Miller and Huested plan to develop and grow a Louisville coffee training school in the next
five years.
Sunergos Coffee Ltd. Co.
Business: Operates three Louisville retail coffee shops and a wholesale operation that
distributes coffee and equipment as well as repair, consulting and training services.
Top officers: Matthew Huested and Brian Miller, co-owners and members of the companys
LLC
Founded: 2003
Employees: About 25 full- and part-time employees
Address: Locations at 231 S. Fifth St., 306 W. Woodlawn Ave., and 2122 S. Preston St.
Coffee bean costs: Price per pound ranges from $13 to $18
Commercial equipment costs: Commercial espresso and drip equipment ranges from
$5,000 to $20,000, depending on package specifics.
Home brewing equipment costs: Ranges from $20 for a home, manual setup up to $400
for more sophisticated tools.
Website: www.sunergoscoffee.com
Page 4 of 4 Sunergos Coffees emphasis on quality leads to national acclaim - Louisville - Business F...
5/9/2014 http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/print-edition/2014/05/09/sunergos-coffee-s-emphasis...