Today we’d like to introduce you to Xavier Alexander.
Xavier, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey into Specialty Coffee dates back to my hometown, Orlando, FL. It was the early 2000’s, and I worked at a Starbucks when an opportunity opened at a local roaster. Not knowing anything about the process, I shadowed the owner of this Orlando roaster. Eventually, I took over managing the entire roasting program on my own. At that time, I knew no one else that did what I did. I felt like a bit of an expert when in reality I was just scratching the surface of a new world.
After a few years, I made my way from Florida to Chicago (which is where I was actually born). I originally didn’t move North for coffee, but somewhat like fate, I found myself returning to coffee working at Intelligentsia Coffee in 2010. That gig was a real dream-come-true because it provided a steady income and insurance for my wife and me (things we weren’t use to). These things had timely significance too, because, in 2010, my wife and I welcomed our firstborn, Julian.
While I can genuinely say that I’m grateful for my journey into Specialty Coffee via a larger company, I always dreamt about taking the chance to find my own voice within our industry, a chance that systematically wasn’t achievable at such a large company. Realizing I wasn’t going to be able to this prompted me to explore other options, which gave way to what eventually would become Metric.
Metric Coffee Co. was founded by my business partner Darko Arandjelvoic (Owner of Caffe Streets) and myself. Darko and I bonded over a common persistence and attention to detail. But while all the vibes were flowing, Darko and I ran into a minor problem… neither of us had a dollar for financing our vision. Luckily that common persistence kicked in and a few months later, on Google, we stumbled across our dream roaster, a 1960s antique German, Cast-Iron Drum Probat. We liquidated assets, borrowed from friends, and did what it took to muster up a down payment for the machine.
Our business plan may have still been vague, but at the very least we had a roaster! Or at least we thought we did. We spent 6 months in limbo with our roaster’s European seller. Finally, after elaborate phone and email tag (read as stalking), the seller released our order, and we had our sight unseen roaster on its way to Chicago. Unfortunately, the package we received was less than promised. The machine was in shambles. Backs against the wall, Darko and I had to swallow our pride and just get to work. We stripped down the roaster and added fresh paint, new motors, and belts revitalizing the roaster by the end of 2012.
Fast-forward to 2018 and we have grown considerably without the aid of private investment and/or a sales force to push our product. While we see why companies have sales forces, we approach business relationally building strong bonds through education and experience. This means hosting weekly cuppings at our roasting works; offerings classes, e.g. home brewing and espresso 101; and throwing a number of public events where we invite the folks literally into our space.
It’s a time-heavy investment, but one we feel is necessary to pay due respect to our producing partners at the origin and to develop strong partnerships, which we’re glad to say includes some of Chicago’s finest restaurants, cafes, and hotels. While my coffee story may not be sleek and simple, it’s full of experience and memories that directly inform how Metric operates through experience.
Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth? Definitely not! When we started our journey back in 2012, all we could dream about was being where we are today and imagined ourselves on a fast-track to success due to the passion, knowledge and, excitement which time helped us prove wrong. In the beginning, assuming that we had “connections” and a resume to complement our business, we learned that coffee is a personal beverage for accounts and supporting a brand goes far beyond quality.
For example, in the beginning, we lacked technical support, education and even the ability to treat each customer with the level of attention and care that we do know, so for us, that took a few years to develop which we are certainly great for. On a personal level, it was one of the biggest challenges of our lives.
Since Metric was founded solely by my partner and I, without any assistance from banks or private investors, it meant no pay for the first two years in business which also meant pouring every dollar back into the business while working a second job to support my growing family.
At the time I seemed suicidal and even now it is most definitely suicidal, but I didn’t want to spend another year struggling at a job with limited opportunities and working side by side with miserable people, so the chance to leap in to my own business, regardless of the odds against me was a chance worth taking.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Metric Coffee is an Award-Winning specialty coffee roaster and retailer focused on sourcing delicious coffee from people we know by name. Our motto is “Made by Humans” which is obvious that most of us are indeed human but our goal is to draw attention to the humanity in coffee which is something we feel is getting away from our industry in general. Metric works with cafes, hotels, and retailers in Chicago and beyond and also sells delicious 12 oz retail packages via home subscriptions which is a popular service that we offer online.
As a company, we are most proud of the people that make Metric Metric. Without them, as cheesy as it sounds, we would not exist and thrive to the best our ability. Today, Metric Coffee employs 14 amazing humans that perform all of the roastings, education, design, quality control, customer service, account support; essentially the works! In terms of what sets us apart would be the quality of our product and the collaborations that we have done to date with our friends and partners.
For example, Metric Coffee has collaborated with beer brands such as Off Color, Maplewood, Marz Brewing and Tocayo to doing custom bag designs for CB2 to doing a custom package for our friends at Pilot Light, donating 100% of the proceeds of the sales to benefit nutritional education in Chicago Public Schools.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes and no. I know that seems like a copout answer but the fact that our business navigates based on the season does affect sales which can affect the bottom line. Also, prior to launching our wholesale and retail cafe, the application process was about as pleasant as pulling your teeth slowly, but thankfully having a tenacious partner who doesn’t give up helped. As for our cafe, which was a big ordeal to open, it took about a year for one of the city departments (won’t say who) to allow us to get inspected before proceeding to the next step.
At times, folks do ask me how to go about opening a coffee here Chicago to which I always say, “Make sure you know your market and focus on your core message”. Like I mentioned earlier, Coffee is a very personal drink for people and in order to appeal to your customers, I believe, you have to infuse life and joy along with quality beans inside a beautifully branded product. Last but certainly not least, I am a big believer in asking questions, even at the risk of sounding redundant.
Our industry is beautiful and complex, but with time and determination, anyone can build those skills to translate their passion for coffee into something that the public can enjoy.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2021 W Fulton Street Suite K-101B
- Website: www.metriccoffee.com
- Phone: 312-982-2196
- Email: info@metriccoffee.com
- Instagram: metric coffee
- Facebook: metric coffee
- Twitter: metric coffee
Image Credit:
@chrishershman @wildercard
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