COMING SOON

Peet's Coffee in the Dimond

Meet New Store Manager

Scott Soo-Hoo

I met today with the manager of the new Peet's Coffee store scheduled to open on Fruitvale Ave. across from Farmer Joe's in the Dimond District in July. If you've been by the store lately you'll notice that it looks ready to go. And it nearly is!

Scott Soo-Hoo is the manager of the new store. I met him through a friend that often hung out at the store Scott previously managed in the East Bay. So I decided to seek him out to learn a bit more about developments in the new store. Scott is a native of Oakland, having lived all across the city for over 40 years, and also owned his own small business for about 7 years on Grand Ave. He's now been working in coffee for 12 years. For Peet's, Scott has had a wide variety of professional responsabilities including: store management, training employees and management, opening new stores, and written training manuals. He's excited about working at the new Dimond store because it's in the Dimond district, a smaller, more communal area with a neighborhood feel, in the throngs of revitalization, and also because he lives nearby.

When asked about the recent crime in the Dimond, Scott shared that the Peet's has done research, and been informed by both our Dimond beat officer and public crime statistics. They've noted that most crimes occur after 9pm. so the store will be open daily (Mon-Sun) from 5:30am to 8:00pm (every day except Christmas). The store will have security cameras installed in both the front and the back in order to both reduce crime by being visual and also to prevent internal theft. Scott has also already had some contact and communication with the Dimond Merchant's Association, specifically with Ruth Villasenor co-owner of Paws-&-Claws, and co-chair of the Dimond Business & Professional Association.

The store will have about 25 chairs. There will be 3 large tables with benches and chairs, as well as a handicap accessible table and a taller counter-table alongside the window facing Fruitvale Ave. They won't have Wi-Fi access, but Scott mentioned that he's heard it's possible to pick it up free on the block. As of this moment they don't plan on outside seating.

The store will open in July, even if you see people beginning to work in the space in the next weeks. They've had had to push back the initial open date of June 25th because of construction complications regarding their power, which are taking longer than expected. Once they get things up and running, Scott looks forward to participating in the larger Dimond community both through the DMA and other avenues. He's willing to listen to what's happening (give him some time to settle in) and to help out in the community.

I asked a bit about the staff currently being trained. Scott said that 3/4 of them come from our community and that 85% are also customers of Peet's. In general he says that the new hires were those that interviewed well, were passionate about Peet's products and also passionate about the neighborhood.

Since it is all about coffee - I asked Scott what he drinks. He's a fan of all teas, currently excited about Organic Jade Mist, a certified organic green tea that Peet's carries. It has a green tea flavor and doesn't turn bitter if seeped too long. He's also a fan of Black Kenyan Coffee because of its subtleties and nuances.

Look for Scott when the stores opens for business next month!