Today we’d like to introduce you to Rich Labriola.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started Labriola Baking in the early 1990’s and became one of the first artisan bakers in Chicago. I entered the restaurant business in 2008 with the opening of Labriola Bakery & Cafe. A few years ago, I learned about Stan Berman, owner of the legendary Stan’s Donuts shop in Los Angeles. I reached out to Stan and we hit it off. I opened the first Stan’s Donuts & Coffee in Chicago in 2014. We now have 7 donut Stan’s locations in Chicago with two more under construction.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Customers in Chicago have received us with open arms. It is so cool to see the love people have for Stan’s Donuts. The challenge in this business is always to find great people to work on our team. We work very hard to build a strong culture.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Stan’s Donuts & Coffee – what should we know?
Stan’s Donuts & Coffee is a classic donut shop. We focus on the basics- customers lover our Glazed and Cake donuts. We also make more indulgent donuts like out Nutella Pocket. We serve La Colombe coffee, the finest coffee we could find. We just started selling Frappes, blended coffee drinks which are great for summer. Finally, we serve ice cream and sell a lot of Shakes.
A growth area for us is catering. We are doing a lot of weddings, bar mitzvahs, and other celebrations.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Hard work, no short cuts, always ask how we can make a customer happy.
Image Credit:
DNAInfo/Allison Hauser
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