Ian Fadness didn't plan on owning a coffee shop. He just wanted to make a really good cappuccino. In this episode, Ian walks us through his coffee journey. From a life-changing espresso in Denver, to the grind of Seattle cafes, to buying Slow by Slow Coffee in downtown Boise with his wife in 2022 (with zero business experience and a baby on the way).

We get into the "Unreasonable Hospitality" philosophy that guides everything they do, what it actually takes to grow a business without a marketing budget, winning a design award at the World of Coffee Expo in San Diego, and what's next, including their 10th anniversary celebration on July 17th.

Thanks for tuning in!

0:00 — Intro: Meet Ian Fadness
0:09 — What is Slow by Slow Coffee?
0:41 — How Ian got into coffee (the Denver cappuccino that started it all)
2:34 — His first barista job and the chaos of a one-man cafe
4:22 — What kept drawing him back to coffee
6:29 — How Ian and his wife ended up buying Slow by Slow
10:56 — The real learning curve: taxes, payroll, and running a business with a newborn
13:44 — Growing without marketing — quality sourcing and word of mouth
15:31 — Discovering "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara
20:08 — How hospitality shows up in the small details
21:35 — Finding and keeping great staff (and why turnover is almost zero)
23:00 — Brian's story: he applied to work at Slow by Slow (plot twist)
25:02 — Crazy customer stories — South Seattle vs. Boise
26:39 — The customer who became their brand designer
29:16 — What makes a great regular
32:42 — The renovation and the connections it brought
34:42 — Winning best cafe design at the World of Coffee Expo in San Diego
37:14 — The design philosophy behind Slow by Slow's space
45:09 — Work-life balance, fatherhood, and the seasons of business ownership
50:52 — Advice Ian would give himself on day one
52:13 — What's next: systems, potential expansion, and the 10th anniversary (July 17th!)