Spike's Speaks
Inspired by my experience interviewing the owners of Zadin I decided to give the ol' interrogation to Mike Delgado, the owner of Spike's Coffee and Teas on 19th Street.
I've written before about my affection for this little cafe, and I still believe that it is the best place for a coffee in the Castro. The baristas actually know how to make a good espresso drink, and Mike has managed to populate the counter staff with the largest collection of cute, fun, nice baby dykes anywhere. (Seriously, this place is like a t.A.T.u. video come to life, and then they serve you a chai latte.)
Let's see what Mike has to say:
CastroShopper: How long have you owned Spike's?
Mike Delgado: I've owned Spike's for the past 6+ years. Originally I bought it with my best friend Nick Hodges who after about a year realized that the everyday requirements of the coffee business was not his career goal. We kept the Spike's branding since Nick had a cat named Spike and we loved the logo and dog culture. It has been Spike's now for about 14 years and prior to that it was called Java Road Coffee Co. I think back in the 80's it was known as Has Beans.
CS: Why did you decide to open a business in the Castro? Did (or does) the high turnover of businesses in the neighborhood concern you?
MD: I was teaching High School in Fremont and commuting down there everyday. After 5 years of that I decided it was time to do something more locally and I'd always dreamed of having my own cafe.
The high turnover of businesses in the Castro isn't too much of a concern to me as I believe strongly in the value offered by my staff and products. We are commited to making the neighborhood more of a community by doing several things. We create a safe, welcoming environment. We donate money and services to local charities and schools. We are entrenched in the neighborhood and have a symbiotic relationship with it. My only concerns with any turnover are that since we are so commited to customer service, training becomes very important.
CS: Do you feel that the busines climate has changed since you've been operating Spike's?
MD: We definitely have more young parents in the neighborhood than before. Lots more strollers in a small shop! People have gotten used to our exemplary service and have come to expect hearts on their lattes, etc.
CS: What has been your reaction to the opening of Starbucks? Have you taken specific steps in order to compete better against such a powerful chain?
MD: Again, I think our neighborhood embraces the small businesses that provide a unique "home base" and character to the hood. While Starbucks has certainly done a good job educating the masses about the industry, Spike's continues to perfect the craft of espresso beverages and not mass producing them.
CS: What is the most difficult thing about having a business in the Castro?
MD: A lot of people have their own ideas about how one should run their business. It is important to be able to listen to suggestions without becoming defensive. Another difficulty surrounds the homeless and balancing being kind with providing a safe environment for customers.
CS: If there is something you would change about the way the city deals with small businesses such as yours, what would it be?
MD: I think the city is very supportive of workers and this is great. It can be challenging when small businesses such as mine is required to offer benefits slightly beyond our means such as sick time, etc. There is no question that my employees deserve any and every benefit offered by the city. The challenge is just finding the budget when we're already so limited.
(It was hard to hear Mike's comment that "A lot of people have their own ideas about how one should run their business" and not interpret it as "Some pushy, semi-literate poof starts writing a blog and suddenly he's the queen of retail." But I soldier on.)
Thanks for the insight into running a small business in the Castro, Mike!
Comments
Can't wait to take Dan there in a couple weeks!
As one of those young parents who is a patron of Spikes, I can tell you that the staff is very embracing of everyone in the neighborhood. My daughter and I were in there today. There were passing out samples of their new apple crisps. Everyone in line had a taste and we all struck up a little conversation. It's really the heart of the neighborhood.
They have a great assortment of old fashioned candy. Jawbreakers and Sweedish Fish....YUM!
Have you ever noticed that their counter is made out of really pretty tiles? So cool.
And yes, it was called Java Road, and Has Bean before Spikes. There's a guy who I think makes all the signs for Castro Village. He has all the old signs from the previous stores. He works out of a garage on Castro between 19th and 20th. When the garage door is open, you can see all the old signs. He has High Gear, Castro Photo, and I think Java Road.
While we're on the subject of that stretch of the 'hood, does anyone know the story about the cool antique shop? It's been there for years, but I never see anyone in there. They do have nice things, but I don't ever see customers.
Nevertheless.. i have to agree that Spike's rocks. Thanks for letting everyone in on it, Ray! Now I'll never get a table. :(