Meer the Coffee Beanery Team!
Coffee Beanery is a 40+ year old family company. We strive to enrich people's lives. Our core values are Positive Attitude, Team Player, Continual Improvement & Outstanding Customer Service.
Improved
JoAnne Shaw
JoAnne Shaw is the co-founder with her husband Julius of Coffee Beanery in 1976 and the President and CEO. She started the company because she wanted to give people the ability to enjoy the very best specialty coffees available. JoAnne’s a visionary whose entrepreneurial spirit has led beyond opening her first stores to franchising, roasting, and packaging. She has a passion for creating vertically integrated opportunities and is always envisioning new avenues to spread her passion for Coffee Beanery coffee.JoAnne is a past president of the Specialty Coffee Association of America and the first woman chairperson of the International Franchise Association. She is a great believer in continuing education, continuous improvement and never limit yourself.
Favorite Coffee: Guatemalan Huehuetenango and Coffee Beanery’s Beanery Blend.
Favorite thing about working at Coffee Beanery: Building a great company with great people and it always smells so good!!!
Bucket List: Walk where Jesus walked.
Julius Shaw
Julius founded Ye Olde Coffee Service in 1967 and then in 1976, co-founded Coffee Beanery with his wife, JoAnne. Julius is Chairman of the Board and past Chairman of National Coffee Service and The Coffee Development Group. Gifted with numbers, he helps monitor our cash flow and maintains the financial health of the company. He enjoys golfing and traveling and especially going to Florida when winter weather hits.
Favorite drink: Costa Rican La Minita
Favorite thing about working at Coffee Beanery: Hearing how people love our coffee even without asking
Bucket list: Traveling to Greece
Laurie Shaw
Laurie Shaw is the COO of Coffee Beanery. In addition, she manages gift sets, fundraising, franchising, & wholesale. As a mother of 6 children, she is a multi-tasker and has no problem delegating tasks (sometimes even to her grown children). Feeling blessed to have such a positive and “can do” group of people to work with…. up for any task even rebuilding a store in 9 days. It was said it couldn’t be done but with our amazing team (and not a lot of sleep)…it was accomplished!! A nerd at heart, she loves reading and learning about virtually any subject.
Favorite Coffee: Iced Fudge Ripple
Favorite thing about working at Coffee Beanery: The people and their passion for the company as well as being able to work with my family
Bucket List: Traveling with her husband…I love learning about history and cultures and of course, eating different kinds of food
Kevin Shaw
1970….Kevin started fixing coffee machines in the kitchen at the age of 6, he had to stand on a milk crate because like most 6-year-olds he was short. After successfully extricating himself from Fenton public school system in 1982 he had a brief encounter at Central Michigan University cementing his entrepreneurial direction, where he started several successful seasonal businesses. He formally joined the family business (1986) as a manager of the Ren Cen store in Detroit and soon after moved back to corporate to develop the roasting, flavoring and packaging processes that have evolved into what you see today. 1989 started selling franchises, The glass is always half full…..if you aren’t laughing within minutes of meeting him give him more coffee and wait.He was born in the wrong century “should have been a cowboy” or better yet John Wayne’s sidekick.
Favorite coffee: Hawaiian Kona
Favorite thing about working at Coffee Beanery: Getting to work with my family and make people laugh
Bucket List: Going to carnival in Brazil
Britain Butcher
Britain Butcher is the Director of E-commerce at Coffee Beanery. Working in a corporate store during college and then interning in the marketing department, she has literally grown up in the company. Her graphic design skills and e-commerce management make her an integral part of the Coffee Beanery team. Graduating with degrees in Marketing, International Business & Graphic Design from Saginaw Valley State University she was employed full time at CB in 2013.
Favorite Coffee: Costa Rican La Minita and Favorite Drink is the Caramel Apple Smoothie!
Favorite thing about working at Coffee Beanery: Family! I get to work with and be surrounded by my family. As challenging as it can be at times there is no place I would rather be working
Bucket List: Learn how to Fly Fish
Bret O'Brien
Bret is the ultimate number guy with a Masters Degree in Accounting and an extensive restaurant background. When he isn’t busy counting the beans he loves to spend time surrounded by his wife and daughters and plethora of animals. His free time includes golfing, soccer and experiencing the outdoors. He brings his leadership and positive attitude to make the team stronger and is integral to CB’s success.
Favorite Coffee: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
Favorite thing about working at Coffee Beanery: The friendly fun atmosphere....and the free coffee!
Bucket List: To visit Ireland
Patti Tushim
Patti Tushim is the R&D Manager for Coffee Beanery. She started in one of our corporate stores back in 2006 as a seasonal employee and quickly worked her way up to the corporate office, first in Operations, and then in Marketing. Her primary focus includes R&D for store campaigns, store design and sourcing fun new items for our stores. Her team members jokingly kid that Patti is 110%...110% of the time and she applies this passion to her job and family every day.
Favorite Coffee: Café Carmel® made with our Caramel Pecan Pie coffee with a dash of cinnamon on top….it’s so good!
Favorite thing about working at Coffee Beanery: I love our team! We are so fortunate to work in a warm and nurturing environment where every team member is made to feel like family. I also love that no two days at Coffee Beanery is the same; each and every day presents new challenges so that we are constantly moving at a fast yet fun pace.
Bucket List: I would love to spend a week or two in a tropical paradise, getting spa treatments on the beach and sipping Mai Tai’s.
Houston Shaw
Some of my first memories are working in my parents Coffee Beanery store and helping out making gift sets. I am excited to be able to work for a family company and add value and grow the brand. Working with franchisees is very rewarding and they feel like a part of our extended family. I love to golf and hang out on the lake with my buddies. Once you get to know me you know that underneath the big personality is a huge passion for the company and our franchisees.
Favorite Coffee: Hawaiian Kona
Favorite thing about working at Coffee Beanery: The atmosphere. It is nice to work in a place where everyone has a great sense of humor. My favorite is when my sister Britain brings in her chubby baby.
Bucket List: Wing Suit Proximity Flying and Base Jumping
Jennifer Kidd
Jennifer Kidd started her coffee career in 2000. She has worked in accounting for her 15 years with the company. Duties include Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Corporate Store Financials, Purchasing and Franchise Sales Reporting. Jennifer enjoys sports and spending time with her family.
Favorite Drink: Green Apple Caramel Smoothie
Favorite thing about working at Coffee Beanery: The people I work with every day are awesome people who make coming to work fun.
Bucket List: Travel to Hawaii