The Family Stone
By TheresaChristine Etim
Photos by: TheresaChristine Etim
Wake The Dead Coffee House offers a unique venue for artists and jewelry makers of San Marcos, allowing creative expression while utilizing business tactics based on trust.
Business, a word with little kindred connotation in other coffee houses, has found a friendlier meaning at Wake the Dead for local artists and individuals with creative spirit. Cafes often undergo discrepancy and conflict when it come to fair pay or misrepresentation. But somehow, this coffee house's ability to bond with its customers as well as its business partners diminishes such issues.
It's not sure how Wake The Dead differentiates from other local coffee houses, or mainstream coffee houses for that matter. Perhaps its relaxed policies, as well as its openness for creative individuality, makes it such a sought after venue for local artists.
Barista Kat Herbert said their policy for vendors is an open one, allowing artists to display and sell their merchandise to their liking.
"We have several different vendors here...and they can charge whatever they want for their merchandise," Herbert said. "They're in charge of the packaging, the display, the labeling...we're completely separate."
In addition, Wake The Dead is also specific in pay methods made by customers interested in purchasing their items. This further helps with distributing the vendor's profits.
"Whenever someone wants to buy a piece of jewelry or a gift, they have to pay in cash," Herbert said. "But each vendor has their own separate envelope. So say something costs $15, we'll take that $15 and put it in the envelope."
Instead of enduring the hassle of cashing a check or the stress of being fairly paid, each vendor can simply pick up their envelope and automatically receive 100% of what they charge.
Despite being a separate entity from the actual coffee house, the vendors still contact Wake The Dead's owner Julie Balkman to make arrangements. Herbert also said that it's Balkman's trusting nature that solidifies the bond of the staff.
"The owner, Julie...it's not easy for her to hire people," Herbert said. "So the fact that we're here means that she trusts us completely."
Moreover, this reliability gives allowance for their creative freedom and individuality at the coffee shop. Herbert also feels they have more flexibility than most places.
"She knows we're not going to steal or take advantage of her business so, in return, we have so much more freedom than a lot of other places," Herbert said. "We can wear whatever we want, we can listen to whatever we want, we can put penises on the wall (laughs). You know, do whatever we want."
Despite a relaxed environment, Balkman still insures the work ethics and principles that lay the foundation for any workplace. Aspects such as cleanliness and respect for customers are staple examples for what the owner expects. As a result, the baristas feel that she gives back so much more.
Although the tight bond within the coffee house is evident, barista Dana Dacy feels that a lot of their success comes from the local support they gain from the community. Dacy shared a conflict between a local resident and the staff that ultimately resulted in a court case.
"She'd put up flyers all over the doors of the neighborhoods around us saying that we sold alcohol, and that we were ruining the sanctity of San Marcos," Dacy said. "And the best thing was that people like lawyers, professors...they all wrote (personal, sentimental) letters about this place and it was really cool to have all these professional people (say), 'they do sell alcohol, but they're not belligerent.'"
Even though Wake the Dead faced quite an obstacle, they managed to run a business based on trust, honesty, and hard work, which enabled an environment for familiarity and creativity.
Barista Kat Herbert said their policy for vendors is an open one, allowing artists to display and sell their merchandise to their liking.
"We have several different vendors here...and they can charge whatever they want for their merchandise," Herbert said. "They're in charge of the packaging, the display, the labeling...we're completely separate."
In addition, Wake The Dead is also specific in pay methods made by customers interested in purchasing their items. This further helps with distributing the vendor's profits."Whenever someone wants to buy a piece of jewelry or a gift, they have to pay in cash," Herbert said. "But each vendor has their own separate envelope. So say something costs $15, we'll take that $15 and put it in the envelope."
Instead of enduring the hassle of cashing a check or the stress of being fairly paid, each vendor can simply pick up their envelope and automatically receive 100% of what they charge.
Despite being a separate entity from the actual coffee house, the vendors still contact Wake The Dead's owner Julie Balkman to make arrangements. Herbert also said that it's Balkman's trusting nature that solidifies the bond of the staff.
"The owner, Julie...it's not easy for her to hire people," Herbert said. "So the fact that we're here means that she trusts us completely."
Moreover, this reliability gives allowance for their creative freedom and individuality at the coffee shop. Herbert also feels they have more flexibility than most places.
Despite a relaxed environment, Balkman still insures the work ethics and principles that lay the foundation for any workplace. Aspects such as cleanliness and respect for customers are staple examples for what the owner expects. As a result, the baristas feel that she gives back so much more.
Although the tight bond within the coffee house is evident, barista Dana Dacy feels that a lot of their success comes from the local support they gain from the community. Dacy shared a conflict between a local resident and the staff that ultimately resulted in a court case.
"She'd put up flyers all over the doors of the neighborhoods around us saying that we sold alcohol, and that we were ruining the sanctity of San Marcos," Dacy said. "And the best thing was that people like lawyers, professors...they all wrote (personal, sentimental) letters about this place and it was really cool to have all these professional people (say), 'they do sell alcohol, but they're not belligerent.'"
Even though Wake the Dead faced quite an obstacle, they managed to run a business based on trust, honesty, and hard work, which enabled an environment for familiarity and creativity.
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