Today we’d like to introduce you to David Rudie.
David, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started working at Starbucks right out of college as a part time job in Greenville, SC. Little did I know I would transfer that job out to CO, to supplement my youth pastor salary. I learned a lot about coffee through Starbucks, and really fell in love with quality roasted coffee. From there I spent a decade starting and pastoring a church and when the time came to step away and transition into a new field a friend of mine asked me to come to High Point and start Chi Rho Coffee. With my coffee background this was a great place to flex my entrepreneurial muscles.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Thankfully City Light Church was dedicated to investing into Chi Rho Coffee. They have a spirit of excellence to make Chi Rho stand out as a special coffee destination. Of course finding the right roaster and local bakery partners was a little trial and error, but we have had a fabulous start in our first year.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I built an ever evolving, simple menu. I made the decision we wouldn’t have any corn syrup, and use pure clean ingredients. Chi Rho Coffee also specializes in high end coffee, we are one of the only places in our city that sells individual pour overs with specialty roasts from some of the best small batches from around the world.
We get a lot of compliments on our spacious cafe, and friendly service. The vibe and community we are building is what I’m most proud of and that along with a quality product is really what sets us apart.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
After my time at Starbucks I worked remotely and visited a lot of different coffee shops. To me every coffee shop does three core things, either great or poorly.
– Product
– Atmosphere
– Friendliness
To stay open you have to have at least one of these down. Good coffee shops will do two of them well. But a great coffee shop that hits it out of the park will crush it in all three.
The best tasting drinks with quality ingredients, a vibrant atmosphere for talking, creating, reading & writing, and then finishing off the vibe with human connection. Caring about your customers and being relational.
I would go to a place that has a good atmosphere, even if the coffee was bad. Sometimes I would go to a place just because I liked the barista. But if you have all three components you are a destination coffee shop.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chirhocoffee.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chirhocoffee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575735636843
