“Back to Basics” with Rachael Nemeth
Back to Basics podcast cuts through the noise to focus on what matters in hospitality. Join Rachael Nemeth, CEO of Opus Training, as she talks with service industry leaders who are shaping today's workforce.
“Back to Basics” with Rachael Nemeth
EP4: Scaling Business through Customer Experience, Speed, and Connection
In this episode, we sit down with Darren Spicer, Co-Founder and CEO of Clutch Coffee Bar, to explore how his brand is revolutionizing the drive-thru coffee experience. With a focus on speed, service, and personal connections, Clutch Coffee has grown to 15 locations across the Carolinas, with plans to double by 2025.
Darren shares his journey from barista to CEO, the operational strategies behind Clutch’s rapid success, and why human interaction is the key to standing out in the competitive coffee space. Tune in to hear how Clutch Coffee is generating $1.1M+ per location annually while keeping customer relationships at the heart of its business.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Clutch Coffee and Its Mission
01:46 The Importance of Customer Experience in Drive-Through Coffee
07:31 Creating Meaningful Connections in Quick Service
13:07 The Future of Drive-Through Coffee
15:46 Training and Developing a Gen Z Workforce
21:49 Community Engagement and Building Relationships
24:27 Using Opus for efficient and effective training
26:52 Lightning Round: Quick Insights from Darren Spicer
About Us
Opus is the hospitality training platform purpose-built for the frontline. Train 100% of your team in 101 languages on the job to quickly get them up the productivity curve. With full visibility across your workforce, you get the frontline business intelligence needed to drive your business.
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When you think about drive-thru coffee, you think speed and convenience, quick transactions. You don't really think about relationships. But what if it could be both? Uh that's what I really wanted to talk to you today about, Darren. Um, for those of you who are listening today on Back to Basics, we're talking with Darren Spicer, the CEO of Clutch Coffee, which is a rapidly growing drive-thru coffee brand that's really challenging this assumption uh across their 15 units in the Carolinas. So uh Darren started as a barista in at the age of 17, uh, has gone from making drinks to really proving that the fastest service models can also create really meaningful human connections. Um so uh, Darren, I'm gonna toss it to you. Can you introduce yourself, name title a little bit about Clutch, and then we'll dive in?
Darren Spicer:Yeah, absolutely. Um so my name is Darren Spicer. I am the co-founder and CEO of Clutch Coffee Bar. Uh Clutch was founded in 2018 in North Carolina. Uh, we now have 14 locations across both North and South Carolina. Um, prior to that, as you mentioned, when I was much younger, I worked as a barista uh in high school and college, and then got an adult job and a real job. And there was something about the industry that always kept pulling me back in terms of the people and the customer service aspect and just the business model. So um so while I was uh doing full-time medical device sales, I was also working towards franchising with a different brand uh that ended up uh stopping franchising. And so that's kind of what what inspired me to branch off and start my own. And that's how Clutch was born, I guess, almost seven years ago.
Rachael Nemeth:Well, and obviously you saw something, something that needed to change. Uh, you know, everyone thinks that drive-thru is really just about convenience and consistency, especially when it comes to beverages. Um what made you decide that that just wasn't really enough and that you needed to do something different with clutch?
Darren Spicer:So I think you you just mentioned the phrase about like, you know, could it be both? And I would answer it should be both. So I think customer service is a is a lost art form. And as consumers get more educated and have more options, you really have to differentiate yourself and and deliver a great experience, right? And I think a lot of a lot of quick service retail, we've we've kind of been conditioned that it's pretty transactional, right? You might order at a speaker board and then you pull up to the window, it'll open briefly to take your money, it'll close, their back will turn, and you're kind of just waiting. And that's kind of like what we've just been conditioned to do. And so um, early on with one of the companies I worked with before, they just really focused on face-to-face interactions. And even as technology advanced, we felt it was really important to still keep that face-to-face interaction. Like we're human, right? You I mean, think about like when COVID hit, you like wanted to get out of the house and talk to a different face and a different person because you're, you know, so we always crave that.
Rachael Nemeth:And so maybe you did.
Darren Spicer:Fair, fair, fair. That's that's fair. Um, but yeah, just in in having that that sense of of connection. And so, how do you blend that with technology? And so we've always just made it a priority that even as technology grows, and we're talking about growing from like when we started in dry through coffee, the runner position outside was literally writing down an order on a sticky note and running said sticky note in and putting it on the espresso machine and then doing it again. Got lots of steps in. Um, evolving from that to using a Blackberry to then texting to now it's on an iPad that you're taking an order outside on an iPad or tablet and it goes in. And so I think that um for most people that might be listening, like the easiest reference if you live anywhere in the country would be like Chick-fil-A. However, they're stationary and you pull up to them. Our runners are more dynamic and actually work down the line to go get car six, seven, eight, ten down the line. So balancing that with technology and still having that face-to-face was super important for us. And the the bonus on this is that it actually will make your operations faster because you're getting the information in inside sooner. People know that you care and you're touching them sooner in the in the process versus waiting six or eight minutes to get your order taken in the first place.
Rachael Nemeth:That's interesting. I didn't really think about that. Um I'm I'm also still stuck on the fact that people, it's not the post-its that caught me, it was the BlackBerry.
Darren Spicer:It was a real thing. It was a real or like analog texting where it was just like you had to hit to get C, you had to press the number two three times to get a C. So you started, then we started shortcutting, you know, like M was for medium, like S was for small. Um yeah, it was it was a whole evolution that's kind of happened, but uh and it will continue. I mean, it'll look different in five years from now, I'm sure. Um, but still keeping that face to face, I think, is really important.
Rachael Nemeth:It's incredible though, because it's really the definition of a lean startup. You know, you're kind of testing different models and seeing what works because you really were doing something different. So you can't walk into it mirroring what's happening today. Sure, you're a drive-thru coffee, but you want an entirely different service model. So I guess that leads me to my next question, which is it's easy to imagine what hospitality looks like in a sit-down restaurant. But what is for you, what does great hospitality look like at a clutch drive-thru experience?
Darren Spicer:Great question. So we kind of look at it as like we are we are the host of the party for the for the two to ten minutes that you might be there visiting us. So it starts with when you turn on to the property, um, we have outs, we have surround sound speakers inside and out. So there's music playing. Typically, it's up tempo, positive, but like creating a little bit of an ambiance um from the time that you turn in, right? Because I think we serve our mantra, we exist to serve positive energy. And that comes in liquid form, of course, but I think it also can come in an emotional form, a mental form as well. Um, and so the starting with that experience there of like the the ambiance um and the energy. And then when we have someone come outside and take your order, uh, and even in the rain, like it was raining yesterday in Charlotte, and we have these like super fun bubble suits that kind of insulate them from things and customers think it's funny. So, you know, like customer pulls up, like we're there to greet them, right? We're meeting them there. And I think that sets the tone where it's like, I am the priority as the customer, right? Not like, oh, I can see people inside and they're talking and they don't care about me. I'm like, you know, we use this phrase, it's like customers are not the interruption to your work, they are the work, like that is the focus. So that that face-to-face interaction is huge. And then as they're getting that order sent in, they can take the payment, they can talk about what they're up to that day, different, you know, different talking points while those drinks are being built, right? So you're still having an engaging conversation. Um, and then if you pull up to the window, if there's no other cars in front of you, uh, we have someone whose sole focus is to be on that window position. So they're not leaving and going somewhere. The window isn't, the window stays open the whole day. So they are having an active conversation. Um, and I think all of those little things matter. And then we teach mastering the art of the brief yet impactful conversation. So how can you have a very impactful conversation in like two minutes or less?
Rachael Nemeth:Is that what a one-minute win is at Clutch, or is that something different?
Darren Spicer:That is, it's great. That is very much so what that is. So the one minute win is like we measure the amount of time a car is at the the pickup window. Um, and the average there we're striving for is a minute or less per car. So if you, you know, we want customers to be able to look at it and say, oh man, there's five cars in line, but I know clutch moves so quickly that I'll only be here for five minutes. Not like, oh, there's five. I'm gonna be here for half an hour. Um so that yeah, those are the one minute wins. Great, great pull.
Rachael Nemeth:Yeah. Um well, you know, I'm always looking for these like really tactical things that people can take with them, especially in an age where the service industry is really changing. Not only is the the the buyer changing, not only is the employee changing, but just the way that we consume content and therefore food and services is changing. So that's another thing that comes to mind is really, you know, when I was in fine dining, the way that you train someone on how to connect and and traditional hospitality training can take years. It's about relationship building, it's about doing research on your customers, it's about um going the extra mile. If you have a one-minute transaction, how do you teach that? How do you teach that kind of genuine connection?
Darren Spicer:Really good question. I think there's a couple things that come into play. So one is we just really encourage employees to be themselves. Like we don't want not to pick on Chick-fil-A now, but like I don't want everyone to be a robot. And if if I say thank if a customer says thank you, you're like my pleasure, right? Like you can play that game forever, which is kind of fun. Uh, but but we want them to be themselves, to be genuine in the conversation. So whether they end up talking about what they're doing that day, the weather, the car they're driving, we'll teach them some, you know, hey, if you're looking for conversation topics, like be observant about, you know, like compliments go a long way too, right? Like, oh man, like love your hair, love your nails. Um, people like to receive that's that's that emotional positive energy. So uh I think it's it's focusing on that. Uh, I think the other part with our business that's a little bit more unique than maybe fine dining is like we are we are a uh very habitual routine, right? So customer our regular customers are coming four to five times a week, sometimes twice a day. And so you're getting them at you're building that relationship over time that way versus um you know, versus maybe more lead-in research to something, uh, and you're learning a little bit sometimes more than you want to know, but you're learning a little bit about them each each time. You become invested in their lives, what their kids might be doing. It's kind of wild.
Rachael Nemeth:Well, that's that that is really magical about these types of things that we consume is that there is habit around it. So that actually makes a lot of sense to me. That, you know, and I'm sure people have like the specific lane they want to go through because they know that that person's gonna be there or what have you, because they make the drink.
Darren Spicer:Certain baristas make their lattes better, yeah.
Rachael Nemeth:Exactly. Yeah, their colors right or what have you. Yeah. Um well, so staying on this tone of personal connection, because it's something that I hear a lot from CEOs, is how do we automate, but we maintain that kind of really human experience? And this is why I really wanted to talk to you because you guys have like the definition of that challenge. So how do you just in your role? I know you're visiting stores, but how do you know that your team is making a personal connection? You know, you're scaling fast. So I guess the question is how do you measure if these connections matter? Um, you know, and is it as important as speed and drink quality?
Darren Spicer:Yeah, I don't think any one of those attributes can be sacrificed in exchange for another. They all have to work harmoniously. Uh, the way we kind of quality control that is a couple ways. One, we have to trust and delegate to our middle management, so to speak, that are going by the stores and that are observing. Uh, and I say observing not in a way of like standing there and like staring at them, but just like they're around. They might be, they might have some meetings, they're putting stock away, but they're peripherally watching and listening and seeing how things are kind of moving. Um, that's one way. Um, another way uh in terms of that is having regular check-ins with our with our leaders and talking to them and saying, okay, like what are you know, what are we seeing here? Um, but then we also really look at like what are our customers saying about us online, right? Like, and um, and so you know, when customers share feedback on Google, like they're pretty transparent for better or for worse. Usually it's for the better, but they might say, hey, I I was at this store and you know, the the girl at the window like wasn't, you know, wasn't paying attention and we had to wait forever, and they just didn't have a great experience. Like we it was not a clutch experience. And so those are like I'll actually, when we respond to people, we'll actually thank them. I'm like, thank you for giving us an opportunity to fix and course correct this. Because if you don't say anything, there's a chance we might not know, right? There's a chance it might continue. So those are opp those are opportunities to create wins and people and I think they're pretty surprised. Like we respond very quickly on stuff, and when they're like, wow, I wasn't expecting a response this quickly, or maybe even at all. So it just shows I think that we care. Um, but yeah, we're very in tune with like what customers say, um, what they're doing, and and then also just observing our our own teams.
Rachael Nemeth:Sure. Um well last question just around the operation and and the the personnel aspect. And then I want to dive in a bit more on just people development and training because you're bringing up some interesting points here. Just you know, you've been in this business for seven years. Um what's next for drive-thru coffee? Like, what does next gen look like to you? What are all the coffee CEOs talking about?
Darren Spicer:The price of coffee. Um man, uh no, it's a really good question. I think you're just gonna you're gonna continue to see product innovation as gonna be at the forefront. And so like most sizable coffee brands ourselves included, but even Starbucks will share or Dutch Bros will share in their in their releases that like iced uh cold coffee, like iced or or blended coffee is like 75 to 80 percent of the coffee portion of things. So all the promotion you'll see with, you know, um shake in espresso, which is also just genius marketing for like a latte with a little bit of foam, but like some amazing. Um but most you'll see product innovation. I think using the cold foam or like we call it sweet top on our drinks opens up a platform to put other different types of toppings on there. It's almost kind of becomes like a at times like a liquid dessert. Um, but it allows people creativity to make something that's their own. They get to express themselves through the five or six dollar beverage they're gonna get. So product innovation, I think, will continue to be key. I think you also have brands who are trying to, at least maybe I'm siloed in coffee here, but brands that are trying to emulate best in class on customer experience or get back to a spot they were before. And so, like uh Starbucks is a good example. Like, we're gonna invest in 200,000 Sharpies and start writing names on cups. Great, like that's great. We've been, you know, us and other brands, we're not the only ones, has, you know, not just names, but like we'll put like positive words of inspiration or different things on there. Like we've been doing that, we have never stopped doing that. And I think if you're a brand that hasn't been, you got to be super genuine about whatever your intention is to get there. Uh, otherwise, it just kind of appears to be manufactured a little bit. Um, so I think I to answer your question, I think it's product innovation, genuine interactions. Um, and then, you know, your speed still has to be, you know, if you're slow, people, people are we're uh uh, you know, I want it now, uh society at this point. Yeah, that's not gonna go anywhere.
Rachael Nemeth:Well, um, I want to talk a little bit more about like the heart and soul and what happens inside Clutch. Just before this, you and I were talking, most of your team is Gen Z. So what have you learned about training and onboarding that really clicks with this younger generation?
Darren Spicer:Well, I mean, and this is actually a compliment to Opus, and this is not what I wasn't planning on saying this, to be honest with you, but like visually, I think helps a lot so they can actually see something before they experience it and before they go into training. So we have them do a certain amount of training uh and courses. So before they even come in to do it, they've already got a certain comfort level they may not have had just by reading something on paper. So I think that like visual, and it kind of ties in with think about social media, like video is king, like that is the content that people are consuming. It's how they're used to consuming so many other things in their lives. So if you can go down that same route and you're, you know, we recorded stuff yesterday actually for um for some training videos to be able to share with them on how to build new drinks we're coming out with or how to do a new process. So um I think I think that format being able to visually see everybody learns differently, but getting to see that is helps with the head start. Um and yeah, and then just speaking, yeah, their language on on things or trying to break it down in a in a certain way. Um yeah, so those are probably the the things that stand up the most.
Rachael Nemeth:Um it it's interesting. I was just at the conference for Bahama Bucks, and they have a very similar employee population, like 15, 16-year-olds, different languages, different work behaviors. Many of many of the times you're training these people how to work. It's their first job, which is a totally different, you gotta show up on time, you gotta have a clean uniform.
Darren Spicer:Life skills, life skills, yeah.
Rachael Nemeth:Exactly. Use both hands when you're cleaning. Um so uh, you know, talk to me a little bit about your manager profile, uh, you know, and and how you're identifying those potential leaders.
Darren Spicer:Great question. I think the intangibles are probably the biggest thing you look for. You know, what people apply and they're like, oh, I have this many years of experience in coffee. I'm like, I actually don't care if you have like sometimes better if you have no experience in coffee because you have no bad habits to break. But I think it's the intangibles, right? Like, are you uh are you a great communicator? Are you accountable? Um, for us at least, like, do you have a certain level of like energy and are you energetic? Because if you if you aren't, and we've experienced in the past where we put someone in a management position and they just weren't outgoing, your crew is gonna reflect your behavior typically. So if you're not bringing the energy, it's highly unlikely that anyone else is going to. So I think those are the biggest things like are you, you know, a great communicator? Um, are you are you disciplined and accountable? You know, how do you, as that manager, think about managing, leading, inspiring, and like how do you assess hiring too, right? Like what, you know, because they're gonna well at some point when they spread their wings, they're gonna be responsible for hiring on their own. Right. And you really have to hope they have the right, the right foundation. So if they have those intangibles and they're coachable, I think that's huge. Um, if they aren't, it makes it a lot tougher to to move forward with us, and frankly, probably at a lot of places.
Rachael Nemeth:I was listening to I was listening to this uh Anthony, the CEO of Bar Taco, and he was talking a lot about people development, and he said, you know, uh 10 years ago is really when the the concept of EQ came up. Um you know, we we had gone beyond IQ. It was about um the kind of emotional quotient um or empathy quotient. Um, and now we're going into AQ, which is adaptability quotient. How fast can your team adjust with the pace of the business? Which I think is is real in QSR. It it's almost like you have to notch up past EQ. Um it just brings to mind to to your point, like there's all these intangibles. So what's your favorite um interview question or or like what's something that you ask when you walk into the store to kind of suss out like, you know, how things are going?
Darren Spicer:That's a great question. Um man, in terms of how we, in terms of how we kind of break it down, I think, I don't know, from an interview perspective, um I kind of like to ask uh, you know, what what else do they like to do in their spare time? It it actually it sounds it's a very non-threatening question and allows you to learn more about them and learn and understand like what are they passionate about, right? And it and it the answer itself, like sometimes it's not even what they say. It's about like there was we literally had someone that we interviewed at the manager candidate last week, and our firing manager Mo asked and she was like, you know, like you know, how would you describe yourself and what do you enjoy to do in your spare time? And they were like, uh, I don't really know how I describe myself, and like, I don't know, I don't do a lot. And like it, it didn't even matter, like they could have said, Oh, I really enjoy like crocheting, whatever, but they it was like you don't have any energy, you're not you're not critically thinking we're asking you a question. And it kind of like it kind of put them into the not qualified pool really really fast. So um, and then in terms of like in the store assessing, um, I don't know if I mean, you know, I don't know if there's any question we might ask, but it's more visually just assessing and and um and seeing like what is the energy level, where are people at? Is the music playing? Are people moving about or are they are they quiet? Because customers pick up on that too, right? I mean, you have to give people a reason to want to come back. Hopefully you're delivering a great product, but also, you know, a great experience. So um that one's more visualizing of like using your own emotional intelligence to understand where where the vibe of the and and the productivity of the store is set to.
Rachael Nemeth:And speaking of that word, vibe, there's vibe, there's productivity, there's are you well staffed? But I'm curious, you have a pretty unique background in that. You were in medical device sales. Yeah. So like what was there anything that transferred from that or that was kind of surprisingly useful in how you're running clutch today?
Darren Spicer:Yeah, actually the the biggest thing that stands out on that is so coming from like a coming from a medical device sales background is uh there's a lot of cold calling involved in that. I worked with plastic surgeons and dermatologists and and different uh specialties, but cold calling and and it's it's not exactly cold calling with clutch, but what we have is we have they're they're called community calls. So every week, each store manager is responsible for going out and visiting three to five new or three to five businesses in the area. And what we do is like we'll go visit them, take them a menu, and be like, hey, what I don't care whether there's two people in the office for 25, whatever you guys want to drink, make a list here, and we're gonna go, we're gonna bring it back to you and we're gonna bring you drinks for free. And so it's like people are like, Starbucks Duncan would never do that. And so it's it's separating ourselves and and actually it's an interesting life skill. If this wasn't the intention, but then we're getting our own 15 to 23-year-old employees more comfortable to go out and like strike up a conversation, right? And not be just on their phone doing something, but like, can you go have a conversation and tell someone who you're with and what you're about in a 30-second elevator pitch? Um, and I just build great in-roads in the community and it's not super cost intensive. So yeah, the like doing cold calls has shifted into community calls and community loves, which has been a cool thing for us.
Rachael Nemeth:I love that. And it it I think what a lot of people don't realize with scaling quick service businesses like yours is that that building community is so important. And actually going out, going to schools, going to universities and talking to people is just as important as like a Google ad that you slap up or you know, a radio ad or what have you. Um, a lot of people find out through word of mouth, but you actually have to get out there and like create the buzz. So um, but I also like that there's uh an after effect where you're actually teaching communication and soft skills too.
Darren Spicer:Yep. So when win-win. They might not realize it in the moment. They're like, I don't have to go talk to people like, yeah. And it's great. I'm like, you're not selling them used tires. You get to go like deliver free drinks and like who does who's gonna say and who's saying no.
Rachael Nemeth:Uh you touched upon this a little bit before, but um, your team has to nail both speed and connection. Um, and that's a lot to learn. I'm curious to hear what's been a win in moving your team to training online on Opus. Like, what's something that's been useful for you guys personally?
Darren Spicer:Um well, a couple of things. One, uh, it allows us to get them more prepared before they come into training. So we they have some like home study and some things to do first. Two, it gives us a faster snapshot. And I'm not even directly involved, I can just tell you because we're this is like exactly things that our team has shared, but it gives us an exact snapshot in a faster, in a faster lens of where people are are solid at and where they need help and where they need work. And then do you can you overlay that data to see, wow, like we hired 20 new people and everybody had trouble with one section of the menu. We we need to do a better job of framing it because clearly everybody didn't didn't pick up on it. So I think that's really helpful to assess where we're at on both sides, how they're doing, but also how are we doing in terms of creating the curriculum that allows them to see it. Um and then it's great when we want to roll out a new, we're a new drink or a new process, you know, like the first thing that our that our tech team, we don't have a tech team, but like whoever does it, be like, hey, great, let's make an opus course for it. And that will allow us to get them prepared so that when the new strawberry seduction mocha comes out for February, everybody knows how to build it and we can say that they've passed this with 100%. And it's not just, you know, something that was written and and done. So I think it's allows us to be much more efficient. We post it to them and they typically have 48 hours to complete it. Um, and it just allows us to be time bound and be better with our follow-through.
Rachael Nemeth:Well, that's interesting too, the way that you're uh uh my eyes got big when you said that because when you're allowing like two weeks or something like that, then the message you're sending is is not one of urgency. And you're working in an urgent business where things change. Um you guys have like monthly LTOs, I think.
Darren Spicer:Yeah, every month. So they have a new, they have at least one new course every month.
Rachael Nemeth:Yeah. Um plus you're growing, so you have new hires. Well, um, Darren, I could sit and I can talk to you all day. Uh we're gonna end with a lightning round uh so listeners can get to know you a little bit better. I'm gonna ask four questions and you have to respond in three words or less for each question. So I know this is a chip in for CEOs.
Darren Spicer:I like it. It's good. It allowed it forces you to think about what is the most important.
Rachael Nemeth:Exactly. Um, all right. I'm gonna uh start with simple, which is uh what's your go-to coffee order?
Darren Spicer:Muscle Mocha. It's our signature protein-infused uh coffee. That sounds good.
Rachael Nemeth:Uh what's the last book you read or podcast that you listened to that you really loved?
Darren Spicer:Is New Dog. Am I saying that right? I think by Phil Knight. Um, and podcast Simon Sinette.
Rachael Nemeth:I've heard his name a couple of times over the past week. Um what was your first job ever?
Darren Spicer:Grocery store dagger.
Rachael Nemeth:Good job. And what's a uh new skill that you're working on as a human, as a professional, whatever.
Darren Spicer:Nelegating and trusting.
Rachael Nemeth:I feel that.
Darren Spicer:Big one.
Rachael Nemeth:Business owner to business owner. I feel that. Um well Darren, thank you so much for joining us today. This was absolutely wonderful. Um, I love talking to you and and really appreciate you joining us.
Darren Spicer:Thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here anytime.
