From Barista Maestro to managing his stores during Covid. The Costa career adventure continues for Tom in Dubai.
What do you think is your greatest strength?
Bringing my teams together and empowering them to think of it more than just a job, to make them feel it was their store and their business and their career.
What is one thing that surprised you about working for Costa?
How close the team are in Store? For example, you could have 10 people, and everyone is completely different and outside of work you’d never probably get on or meet but you become a family.
The biggest thing you have learnt during your time at Costa.
Getting feedback from the teams you manage and the stores you run is invaluable.
Taking that time to get
to know them and treat them as humans so there is no them and us. Its about mutual respect for each other that
makes it work.
What you’re favourite coffee/hot drink?
In the UK I drunk a flat white every day (before costa I didn’t really drink specialty coffees, I was a latte person) Now I’m in Dubai I drink a Cortado or Corto as its too warm for a larger warm drink.
What attracted you to Costa?
I had been working in hospitality but there was no career progression where I was. I applied for the Barista Maestro role to come in under that team leader role and found that even from day 1 I was already on a learning programme to be an assistant store manager.
What did you know about Costa before you joined?
I didn’t know much about the brand when I joined but have enjoyed seeing how the business has grown over the last 8 years.
What do you think are the secrets behind getting to where you’ve got to?
My partner and my area managers both invest in me and support me every step of the way.
I have therefore
tried to do the same for the teams I’ve managed to ensure they know I am invested in them and support their
career development.
What is the thing you are most looking forward to in Dubai?
I want to progress and keep learning and for the first time in a while I am doing that, as a store manager I knew what I was doing so this is a pushing me in that direction.
Its also taking me out of my comfort zone to learn more about myself and the cultures over here as I will be travelling with my role which is something I love to do.
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