He was a regular at a struggling coffee shop. Then He Bought It, and 4X the Annual Income to $1.8 Million.

Kristen Williams-Haseotes bought the struggling Bad Ass Coffee and turned it into a top-performing brand. It is now on track to drive at least $1.8 million in revenue by 2024. How? He knew nothing about the coffee business, but he understood the importance of community, and how it gives meaning to itself.

Haseotes once had a home for ex-criminals who had re-entered society, then worked in community development at a bank. In 2019, while living in Naples, Florida, he used to visit Hawaii’s Bad Ass Coffee, because he liked the sense of community there: “That’s where everyone came and sat together and drank a cup of coffee,” he says. – from local electricians and landscapers to millionaires and billionaires. But the property was struggling, with an annual income of only $430,000. So he bought it. Here’s what he did next.

Related: Why You Should Buy a Franchise Instead of Starting Your Own

1. Raise from within.

Haseotes hired new employees, but also got to know the existing team members, and looked for their greatest strengths. One barista in particular, Daniel Guimond, seemed ready for a big promotion – so he made him manager. “It’s made a difference. My advice is to look around and see who’s doing the job and going above and beyond what’s expected. That’s the one who deserves a shot.”

2. See a great opportunity.

Haseotes had the opportunity to expand into the neighboring space. This makes a little financial sense – double the rent, but no ability to expand the menu (due to the problem of parking and locations). But for Haseotes, his shop was not coffee at all. It was about community – and the new space could host music, lectures, and more.

3. Always encourage communication.

Haseotes had to close for renovations, but in the meantime he offered free coffee to foreign customers. And after the storm, he took free coffee to the first responders. “We didn’t want people to go somewhere else. It’s about the process,” he said. “I paid the workers. But with the cup, we donated that money to charities. When people donate, they donate generously.”

Advice from the Franchisor

Don’t let big changes distract you from the basics of business, he said Bad Ass Coffee for Hawaii CEO Scott Snyder. For example, the franchise was acquired in the same year that Haseotes bought the Naples location – and the new owner introduced a complete redesign of the brand after that. But Haseotes knew he had to get the basics out of the way before the beauty.

He was focused on “combining, having things work, and following the guidelines we were setting,” Snyder said. And it worked. “He almost doubled the size of the store in the first year without making any significant changes to the design.”

Related: When He Moved Abroad, Math Was The Only Language He Understood. Now He’s Built That Experience into a $30 Million Annual Franchise.