Respect Others
Supporting local…
And what it means to Calamity’s Coffee.
In a recent post, we discussed where your money goes when you make a purchase at our shop. We also discussed corporate stores and why we are not concerned about their appearance in Oak Ridge. These posts were intended to show why so many of us take pride in Oak Ridge (and surrounds). However, we want to take a moment to address some recent conversations that have peppered social media.
Many of our customers are loyal and we cannot express how grateful we are for your support. I never imagined that my little dream would grow this quickly. Not a day goes by when I don’t think how lucky I am to have customers as incredible as you. The stories you share, the laughter that comes from our community room, and the ideas you bring me always reminds me that there truly is kindness in this world.
Calamity’s is building a community, not simply great coffee. You know this and many of you are fiercely supportive. Social media has shown just how much you care. You take the time to post, we do our best to respond to each one of you. That said, we never want to create animosity with other businesses (regardless of their size). Though our support is with small businesses, we recognize that corporations hire locally. Most of the employees at Calamity’s (myself included) got our start at a worldwide coffee chain and would not be as passionate about the profession if it hadn’t been for our initial training.
When I left coffee and went into veterinary medicine, I took a huge pay cut. I was addicted to my daily coffee at a nearby shop and budgeted for it. One day, a friend of mine pointed out that that cup of coffee cost me half an hour of my pay. She asked if it was worth it to me. I thought differently about my values. Ultimately, I decided that though it was not worth daily visits, the incredible staff was worth seeing every other day. When I opened Calamity’s, I heard my friend’s question over and over. Calamity’s, I decided, should always be a place that respects your hard work. We understand that you have chosen us and that regardless of your financial status, we owe it to you to provide exceptional service and coffee. If your coffee doesn’t suit your needs, you are always welcome to tell us. In fact, we genuinely hope you will feel comfortable doing so.
Hazel and Lori send a goofy picture to make the rest of the crew smile
My staff is amazing. They care about you as much as I do. They eat, sleep and breathe Calamity’s. They constantly come to me with new ideas and goals. They are the best of the best and they cherish the connections they build with you—even the quiet ones, who are new to the workforce, are growing with every interaction!
Despite our mission, we understand we cannot make the perfect cup of coffee or the perfect environment for everyone. We believe everyone should find that place that makes them feel as though their needs are being met. Of course, we hope Calamity’s always feels welcoming, but we know our hours aren’t conducive to everyone’s needs, we don’t have a drive-thru, and our food is limited. We ask that our fans respect others. Please continue to share the word and give positive feedback, but please also respect our belief that everyone should find that spot that they believe is worth half an hour of their pay.