Katie Ring | Banner Scott Christien, owner of The Daily Brew, starts off the morning by making an espresso shot while chatting with costumers. The friendly atmosphere at The Daily Brew has consistently drawn in new customers and keeps them coming back. Katie Ring | Banner
Scott Christien, owner of The Daily Brew in Riverside, jumped into the world of business with no promise of success.
Before The Daily Brew opened, Sips coffee shop stood in its place before it went out of business.
Christien saw the closing of the previous coffee shop as an opportunity to rebuild and took a chance.
“Looking back, I probably didn’t take the best steps in laying out a business plan,” Christien said. “I didn’t know how much it would need to grow to get to the point of showing some profit.”
Lauren Ross, a California Baptist alumna who graduated in 2013 with a liberal studies degree, had previously worked at Sips and was asked to join Christien’s team.
Having Ross on board made a huge difference.
“It was busy right from the start,” Ross said. “It was crazy. There was only about six of us on staff.”
Christien advises future entrepreneurs to create a plan of action before pursuing a business. He suggests finding sponsors, getting good loans and to find a place that is already set up for success, like location of The Daily Brew.
Christien served as a Bible chaplain for nine years after graduating college with a degree in business and had past experience in real estate.
His business degree gave him the knowledge necessary for the management and accounting aspects of the business.
Even so, he had to learn everything from where to buy products to discovering ways to attract customers.
He figured a good place to start with rebuilding was to step up and fill the hole Sips had left in the community.
“Their vision was they wanted a place for community and people to come and have some great coffee while they’re at it,” Ross said.
This lead to the establishment of the coffee shop’s slogan, “Coffee is our craft, community is our passion.”
For The Daily Brew, things are definitely working out. Christien said sales continue to grow, with a 30 percent increase month-to-month.
“I’ve seen a lot of God’s work, (regarding) how this has come about,” Christien said. “Things have just happened at the right time.”
