God moves in mysterious ways. For proof, ask Victor Kidd.

Lane Kidd holds a cup of the House Blend Dark Roast beans and Chocolate Chunk Frappe Freeze, a Kidd Coffee specialty. ([name of photographer] photo) | ZOOM |

        The Rev. Mr. Kidd is pastor of Mason Community Church and owner of Kidd Coffee in Mason. His journey into entrepreneurship has been just as rewarding as he had hoped, but very different from what he anticipated when he brewed his first pot of Colombian Supremo in August 1999.

        His goal was to own a small business that would provide enough revenue to make him financially independent of his church.

        “I've always thoroughly enjoyed the ministry, but don't like getting my income from the church,” he said. “It's a personal thing for me.”

        The business also had to be flexible enough that he would have time for his congregation. That requirement ruled out many possibilities. A coffee shop, however, presented many possibilities.

        “I see this business as an extension of my ministry,” he said. “This is the church office, and we use the conference room here for meetings and counseling sessions. For 11 years, I had my office in the church and never saw as many people as I do here. The fit is perfect.”

Victor Kidd

        The small cafe, on Mason's busy Reading Road, is a simple operation. Rev. Kidd provides overall management, assisted by his son Lane and daughter Erica. Careful scheduling allows the two young people time for their studies at University of Cincinnati and enables their father to come and go as church needs beckon. The menu is limited but diverse, offering coffee, coffee drinks and other beverages, accompanied by various munchies.

        Most important, customers feel welcome there.

        “We know the names of most of our regular customers,” the Rev. Mr. Kidd said. “We always introduce people, when they come in, to other people who are here. The climate is friendly, and we get a lot of positive feedback.”

        Some of that feedback was from aspiring business associates who liked what they saw.

        “When we started with this store, we had no intention of building a big coffee business,” he said. “But from the very get-go, people asked us if this was a franchise. Within six months, we had so many inquiries that we contacted someone with franchise experience.”

        That person referred the Rev. Mr. Kidd to an attorney. The lawyer's advice: Don't rush; spend the time necessary to establish your original operation before replicating it.

        The entrepreneur heeded his attorney's advice and has prepared for franchising at a judicious pace. The process is in the hands of the law firm of Taft, Stettinius and Hollister, which has indicated that it will have the legal work finished this summer.

FINE-TUNING

Since starting Kidd Coffee, Victor Kidd has plowed every dollar of profit back into the business to expand and to ready the business for franchising. His goal is to establish 25 franchises within the next five years. Inquiries have come from as far away as Tennessee and Michigan.    Meanwhile, Mr. Kidd has learned a great deal about building a new business. A few highlights:    The importance of doing low-cost, “guerrilla” marketing: “So much money can be wasted on advertising. You have to sell a lot of coffee to pay for one ad.”    The need to be open when your customers want you.    The importance of employing people who communicate your message to customers.

        Meanwhile, the Rev. Mr. Kidd seized other opportunities, opening cafes in Loveland and in Landen. The Loveland venture didn't work out and the Landen operation moved to Lebanon in February of this year. The Rev. Mr. Kidd's sister launched a Kidd Coffee in Springboro.

        Said the Rev. Mr. Kidd: “Through those experiences, we've learned a lot.”

        The Lebanon and Springboro cafes are under a licensing agreement with the Rev. Mr. Kidd's company, an arrangement that is legally less complex than a franchise.

        “They have to follow all of our guidelines, and they pay a royalty fee, as well as an initial fee for consulting and setup,” he said.

        Lebanon cafe owner Kathy Cochran is finding Kidd Coffee to her taste.

        “My husband and I had heard people tell Victor that they needed a Kidd Coffee here, a place you felt you could stay as long as you wanted to.”

        The couple made that suggestion a reality. The cafe is run by Mrs. Cochran and her son Tay, 18.

        “The clientele is really growing,” she said. “Every day, we have somebody come in for the first time, and we still haven't scratched the surface. We have Bible studies, bridal showers, baby showers, prayer meetings — all kinds of things. People ask me if this is what I always wanted to do. I tell them that I never knew what I wanted to do until I came here.”

        That's the kind of environment the Rev. Mr. Kidd nurtures in his establishment.

        “We have a spiritual basis that guides us,” he said. “People respond to love and having others care about them.”

        As Kidd Coffee prepares to sell franchises, its owner emphasizes that the package contains more than just the mellow roast coffees, the latteccinos, the chai and the Italian sodas.

        “We're here to serve,” he said. “That's what we've tried to communicate to people and to our other stores. I like to think that Kidd Coffee is at the epicenter of a giant love quake every day.”"We want people to come back, if not for the coffee, then for the atmosphere. Love of people is at the forefront of what we do. Just selling coffee, for me, would be empty.'

        Kidd Coffee is at 312 Reading Road in Mason, 398-0718; 731 Columbus Ave. in Lebanon, 932-5534. The Springboro location is temporarily closed because of a fire and will reopen in 2003.
       

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