Q&A with Eileen Rinaldi, CEO of Ritual Coffee
GCG: Tell us about your journey to becoming a small business owner - how did you end up in coffee?
ER: I took a job managing a small cafe in a bookstore in Washington, DC right after I graduated from college. I thought I was taking that job so that I could think about what I wanted to go to grad school to study, but six weeks into the job, I realized that I had found what I loved: coffee and small business. When I look back, it's so obvious to me that I was going to grow up to own a small business, I can't believe it wasn't obvious to me. But entrepreneurship wasn't really talked about when I was younger. Now it's a THING. I thought I had to be a doctor or a lawyer or a professor.
GCG: We read that your first job was bagging candy at the Rye Country Gourmet Food Store at age 10. How has your experience working for your sister Claire helped you as a female entrepreneur?
ER: Growing up working in a small business taught me so much. Business is just intuitive to me, and I think it probably has a ton to do with working alongside my sister for all those years. She's a quiet leader. She works so hard and thrives on making her customers happy, her employees trust her. She wants to be in the kitchen working, not out being the face of the company. And seeing how her company would benefit from her being more public has given me a bit of a kick in the pants to take any opportunity to get out and talk to people. I would also be happy to be more behind the scenes. But customers want to know who they're supporting when they buy a product, so I'm trying to get out in front more.
GCG: Tell us what it's been like as one of the only female-owned coffee businesses in San Francisco? What lessons did you learn, and what insights do you have for other female entrepreneurs trying to start their careers?
ER: Sometimes, it's hard being the only woman in the room. I put owner/ founder as my title because people frequently assume that I wasn't the person who started Ritual. GQ even printed that Ritual was "owned by a man..." Later they claimed it was a typo. There are tons of things like that that could ruin my day if I let them. But ultimately, I have an edge: my best employees. I hear time and time again that people sought out Ritual as the place they wanted to work because it was owned by a woman. So yes, you'll face challenges, and people will talk over you and take credit for your ideas and all those other things, but in the end, in order to grow your business, you'll need help. And having employees who believe in what you're doing and want to be there is the best kind of support.
GCG: Why do you think Ritual Coffee stands out from the competition?
ER: We have grown, but we haven't compromised. If anything, our coffee gets better every year. We might have more employees, or roast more coffee than we did 15 years ago, but we've stayed true to our values. We want to make the best cup of coffee. We never compromise on quality. We have maintained a narrow definition of what is good. We've made it this far, so I think it's safe to say that compromising isn't really a part of who we are as a company. I'm incredibly proud of that.
GCG: These have been incredibly challenging times for merchants and many businesses have had to close or pivot. Tell us what you've been up to and how you've turned Ritual into a country store.
ER: As soon as shelter in place went into effect in San Francisco, we turned our flagship cafe, Ritual Valencia into Ritual Coffee + General Store. We started by offering loaves of bread and cartons of milk. We added packs of cookies and pints of cookie dough. We have coffee blossom honey, jams, fancy soaps, and hand sanitizer. Our most recent new items are kits to make cookies or pancakes with kids. It was just an obvious choice to me -- since we closed off our seating area, we have tons of space. We could easily stock necessities that people need. I mostly found small businesses who were still operating but working to find new outlets for their goods. Customers appreciate it because we pack everything up for them, and they don't need to come inside. They appreciate the quality and the creativity of the items we've selected.
GCG: We know you are a proud mom. How have you been able to balance motherhood and being a business owner, especially now?
ER: Ha! I think it's more of a juggling act, and you just have to be aware of which ball you're dropping and when! I try to involve my kids in the business. I talk about business decisions with my 6-year-old. She has a pretty good sense of business already, which I really appreciate! And with school being out, I take opportunities to teach her how to do my work when there are age-appropriate tasks. My favorite so far was having her count out people's tips one day! But ultimately, I delegate more than I did before I had kids. And I let things go. I can't make every idea that I have happen.
