58. They Left 6-Figure Jobs to Build a Mobile Coffee Catering Empire (Ravello's Coffee)

Max left a 6-figure corporate job. Stephen walked away from a high-paying sales role. Together, they built Ravello's Coffee Catering from a single cart at a church camp into one of Columbus's fastest-growing mobile coffee businesses.In this episode, Zach and Justin sit down with Max and Stephen to break down the full story: the viral Biscoff Latte that put them on the map, why they opened a coffee shop (against everyone's advice), and how they're building systems to scale without being in the weeds every day.Whether you're starting your first cart or scaling your catering operation, this one is packed with real numbers and hard lessons.Check out Ravello's Coffee: ravellos.coffee⏱️ Timestamps:00:09 - Meet Max and Stephen from Ravello's Coffee Catering 01:11 - Starting as a Side Hustle During Parental Leave 01:49 - The Story Behind the Name "Ravello" 02:33 - First Equipment Setup (GS3 and E65) 03:00 - Their First Event and What Went Wrong 03:53 - How Flashquotes Became a Game Changer 05:24 - Pop-Ups at Express HQ 06:25 - The Viral Biscoff Latte That Started Everything 08:33 - Quitting Corporate to Go Full-Time 09:30 - Breaking the Rules of Coffee Catering 11:19 - Using Community Influencers to Grow 14:41 - Why They Opened a Coffee Shop 16:34 - Monthly Drink Drops and Social Strategy 17:05 - Celebrity Visitors and Free Promotion 20:45 - Using the Cafe as a Marketing Tool for Catering 23:02 - Switching Equipment and Optimizing Cart Setup 24:55 - Scaling From 1 to 4 Carts 28:21 - Team Dynamics: Gas, Brakes, and Nitrous30:55 - Booking 250+ Events: The Real Numbers 32:46 - Where Their Leads Actually Come From 37:49 - Growth Challenges and Hard Lessons 40:07 - Managing 16 Employees and Split Attention 43:44 - Building Systems That Run Without You 45:32 - Maintaining a 4.9 Star Rating at Scale 46:30 - Training Baristas for Catering Events🔧 RESOURCES MENTIONEDhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2F25CDC/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0F2F25CDC&pd_rd_w=6lrnD&content-id=amzn1.sym.8c2f9165-8e93-42a1-8313-73d3809141a2&pf_rd_p=8c2f9165-8e93-42a1-8313-73d3809141a2&pf_rd_r=NK41WSG2K7VESDZE4WK4&pd_rd_wg=bl6LW&pd_rd_r=ae7c2744-c0fb-4a9c-ae1e-83c41505421e&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw📅 UPCOMING EVENTS* Level 5 Live — June 25th, Denver | https://www.levelfivelive.com/🚀 ABOUT FLASHQUOTESFlashQuotes is the #1 software for mobile catering businesses — built to help you get more leads, send faster quotes, and book more events. Used by coffee carts, boba bars, and mobile caterers across the US.👉 Start free: http://flashquotes.com