2015 Big in Japan: James Freeman, Founder and CEO, Blue Bottle Coffee: Bringing Blue Bottle to JapanNEW

Bay Area coffee legend Blue Bottle coffee is known for its delicious coffee and for its sense of style.  Over the years, many visiting Japanese coffee enthusiasts have fallen in love with it, and now they can get their Blue Bottle fix, as the company opened its first cafes in Tokyo this year.

Eschewing the typical franchising route, Blue Bottle has taken the unusual approach of entering the Japanese market itself with full ownership of its operations there.  This enables the company to have greater control and to ensure the authenticity of its coffee in Japan.  Appreciative Japanese fans have responded by flocking to the two Blue Bottle cafes in Tokyo, leading to hours-long waits.

Entering the Japanese market had been a longtime dream for Blue Bottle's founder James Freeman, an enthusiastic fan of Japanese culture.  Blue Bottle uses a lot of Japanese equipment, and its approach to coffee has  a lot in common with Japan's tradition of craftsmanship.  James has been spending a lot of time in Japan in connection with the company's entry there, giving him even more opportunities to connect with the culture.

In this presentation, James will share the company's story of its Japan market entry, including what adjustments they made to Japanese culture (and what they didn't change) and what's been the most interesting and surprising in the company's experience so far.  James will also share what he loves about Tokyo, the inspiration he draws from Japan's kissaten culture, and how he embraces the Japanese concept of kodawari.

Register here: http://www.usajapan.org/event/big-in-japan-james-freeman-founder-blue-bottle-coffee-bringing-blue-bottle-to-japan/