Cafe Mariette emerged from tenacity and persistence, more than a cafe is a meeting point, a gourmet concept that serves coffee of the highest quality. Located in the area of Coatepec Veracruz in Mexico City, where many small businesses share good experiences around a square. We interviewed Mr. Leopoldo Sánchez the owner of the cafe, and he shares his unique experience of running the business.

When did you start your business?

My business started five years ago and like many things that happen by chance. I was an employee all my life, I worked in different companies, and one fine day I lost my job.

I have always liked the subject of coffee, as a consumer but well, I thought that at some point I could have a business that was related to coffee, so I decided to open a cafeteria. But what is special in this cafeteria is that we offer freshly baked bread, which is a somewhat different concept from what is usually handled because the bread comes from Europe, which is a frozen bread that is already made, it is pre-fermented and it arrives frozen. We finish fermenting it, defrost it, and bake it. That's how our business called Cafeteria Mariette, was born.

Like any business, at first, it was very complicated, but fortunately, even after everything, the world has suffered from this pandemic, where many businesses, unfortunately, had to close. We decided somewhat out of stubbornness to continue with it, and fortunately, in this almost post-pandemic stage, we are doing well.

So basically, our business is a cafeteria where we offer freshly baked bread, it is a business that is installed in a place where it is easy to contact people from the same place, it is a cafeteria as the neighborhood likes to call itself, we know our clients, our clients know us, some of them are friends. 

What do you think your customers love most about your coffee shop?

Since I started the business, the idea was never to lose sight of the customer. Like everyone else, we are customers in different places and I have always wanted to project that, that they get both the service and the quality of food or drinks, what we offer, or the products, and what people expect as a customer. So that is a philosophy that I have maintained in the business and that has led people, my collaborators, and those who work in the cafeteria to have the same idea. Mariette is a cafeteria where people feel comfortable, since they arrive, we greet them by name, we know what their favorite drinks are, and how they drink them.

Something that also distinguishes us is that at some point we handle the idea that we prepare coffee the way you like it. So, we know that there are different tastes, although there is a procedure to make an espresso, a cappuccino, or a latte, because there are those who like it more loaded, less loaded, with different types of milk, sweetened. We pamper the customer and prepare not only the coffee, but everything we offer as the customers like it, so in the end, it becomes a space where people are very happy. Our clients have been clients for years, which we have been doing little by little, and that shows us that the idea, the philosophy of doing a business where people feel good, that it is not just a place where some attractive products are offered, a delicious coffee, a very good quality bread, but also a warm place, practically family, of friends, and I think that has been the basis of the success of this business.  

And in the middle of that trajectory, how did you find Loyverse?

Well, just at this stage, as a novice entrepreneur, I started looking for point-of-sale systems, among many other things. I even acquired one, at first I bought a license and started working with another system, however, I began to find a series of problems because there was no support, suddenly the system didn't work well, it doesn't work online, so other alternatives have been looked for. Looking for a point of sales system on the internet, Loyverse attracted my attention, firstly because it was a free system, which suited me perfectly as a new entrepreneur I had to look for tools that were not expensive, and in this case, I was very surprised that It was free. I visited the website, and I saw many reviews from people like me, from entrepreneurs who have used the system, and it gave me a lot of confidence, so I changed, I left the point of sale system that I had acquired, and that's how I started with Loyverse. That was five years ago already.

I know that the free services that Loyverse has are quite attractive, but do you have any of the paid services?

Not at the moment, they seem very attractive to me and I have begun to investigate their characteristics and benefits. The inventory module seems to me that it is already for the type of business that I have. In the beginning, I myself carried out my inventory controls in Excel pages. Fortunately, we have been growing, in fact, I already have a small branch of this business, and I see that if it becomes necessary to have additional tools, for example with the inventory module or the employee management module, it is something I am considering and surely I will do it soon.

Could you say that Loyverse somehow changed how you were operating your business?

Having the reports that Loyverse offers us also seems extremely useful to me to eventually be able to make decisions about which products are offered more, what frequency, and what time, in short. All the tools that Loyverse offers, if used, seem to me to be important decision-making elements for any business. 

Through your words, I see that you have a vision for the future together with Loyverse.

Totally, I must say, my business is located in a small square where there have been changes of businesses and I have recommended all my colleagues and entrepreneurs who settle in that square, or whoever asks me, I highly recommend this system.

Finally, would you like to send a message to entrepreneurs, for those new entrepreneurs who are starting this journey?

Of course, my message would be that every entrepreneur, regardless of their experience, is always very good to have help with tools that facilitate this process Being an entrepreneur is complicated and patience is required, a lot of perseverance is required to continue, but throughout this process, it is important to have the best tools, and when it comes to the point of sale system, Loyverse has definitely been an important ally for me in this process and in what is now my business.

We invite you to visit Cafeteria Mariette's social networks: https://www.facebook.com/Mariette-101791288726785/ 
Instagram: @mariettecafe