A Leaf of Faith
June Kim, known as JK, is the Operations Manager for Leaf Café & Co. JK manages suppliers and franchisees as well as promotions, distributions and customer feedback.
Leaf Café & Co, established in 2006, is growing rapidly. The company has nine established stores throughout Sydney and five more planned for Top Ryde City, Warringah Mall, Clampton Park, North Kellyville and Macarthur Square.
JK splits his time between all nine stores and the Leaf Café & Co’s headquarters at South Granville. When asked about his head office space, JK explained that it’s business up top and party downstairs. “We roast our signature coffee beans and blend our single estate tea leaves downstairs; all the boring stuff is upstairs,” he joked.
Down to Earth
So what’s the secret to the café’s success? “We offer something different,” said JK. “We make our own tea and coffee, and bottle cold-press juices, iced tea and drip coffee on site. We also offer fine food in a casual, earthy setting.”
Photo: Every Leaf Café & Co offers a unique space.
Last year, JK brought on Luminar to improve the retail presence for their bottled drinks and take-home tea and coffee packs.
“Before we found Luminar, we were using plain stickers and hand writing the product names ourselves,” explained JK. “The look and feel of the bottles wasn’t great. The design wasn’t popping out and the packaging wasn’t up to our standards.”
Initially, JK planned to find a labeller in China. He did some research online and rang around a few label companies but didn’t find any that fit. JK eventually found Matt Ellis, the General Manager of Luminar, when he was referred by a colleague.
“Matt and I spoke on the phone for about an hour,” said JK. “He really liked our business model and the conversation went smoothly. Matt talked through the options in detail.”
Photo: Leaf Café & Co’s new labels showcase their colourful iced teas.
The Leaf Café & Co team agreed on clear vinyl stickers to invite customers to see the vibrant colours of their products. JK worked with his own designer to come up with the label design and Luminar helped to bring the products to life.
Since the company rolled out the improved labels, JK says sales have increased. “Our franchisees are selling lots of brewed iced teas, cold drip coffees and juices, and make weekly orders for the bottles.”
JK says that the locality of Luminar is a big plus. “I really appreciate working with a company based in Sydney. They’re easy to reach, they work quickly, and Matt always says ‘yes.’”
“Put simply, they’re the way to go.”
You can learn more about Leaf Café & Co by visiting the website or following them on Facebook. To get started on your next labelling project, contact us for a quick quote.
