Tiffany Ferguson’s “Passion for Coffee”

I caught the second entrepreneur in this series in the midst of an unusual month for her as she spent January working “on the business, not in the business.” Tiffany Ferguson --owner/operator of Cattle Brand Coffee – bubbles with enthusiasm whenever she talks about coffee and the people who have helped her get where she is.

Her busy coffee kiosk located off Front Street in Forsyth was voted Distinctly Montana Magazine’s “Best Coffee Shop” and attracts not only locals but regulars from all over Montana and as far away as Minnesota, Washington, Oregon and Canada. Many have their favorite beverages, and I can share that I go back often for a “Hot Nutty Irishman” latte.

This summer Cattle Brand Coffee will celebrate their seventh anniversary, and in honor of that lucky number 7 which goes with the legal name of Seven Seas Coffee LLC, they willrepeat a “Brand the Stand” event where local people can add their brands and enjoy abarbecue and a free coffee. She only wishes her Grandpa Jack Bailey could be there running the irons as he did at their first event.

Tiffany grew up at the Bailly Ranch between Colstrip and Lame Deer and then Bozeman before going to college in Billings and being introduced to the coffee business. After ten years of bartending and casino work with occasional barista jobs, Tiffany moved back to Forsyth and found her “happy place”. In 2017 she was able to purchase what is now Cattle Brand Coffee.

When asked about the motivation for running this business, Tiffany says she loves to hand drinks to customers, watch them take a sip and see their eyes light up. Other rewards include working for herself, being her own boss, and teaching people about coffee, encouraging their passion for it.

Tiffany credits a lot of people for their roles in her journey to success, beginning with her sister Sheena Schiffer, who believed in her and encouraged her from the start and throug hevery rough time. Owners of two different coffee shops in Billings taught her the art and science of coffee, to “put the love in the cup” and the importance of excellent customer service.

She considers Peggy and Joel Gargaro and Sarah Ferro her heroes. In addition, Tiffany appreciates her husband’s contributions in the way of lifting things, fixing things, and helping out as needed.

The science of coffee is fascinating. For example, did you know that air pressure actually affects the coffee shots so that baristas have to make adjustments according to the weather?

Running a successful coffee shop includes moving from an initially traditional business to learning new trends. She stresses that using all the senses rather than scales for weighing ingredients results in the best new drinks.

Tiffany applies her knowledge to creating unique drinks and then getting the word to her customers. An example is a drink called Montana Made which took six months to perfect.

Staff are involved in the creation as well as customer service. Tiffany takes pride in her crew and enjoys talking about former employees like Mora Montgomery and Haley Vance, whom she trained as a young teenager and still is glad to see whenever Haley returns to work a bit.

Of course, the business involves some challenges including keeping employees happy right along with keeping customers happy, and that often involves juggling hours. Time demands can mean sacrificing family time and at times lead to enough burn out to make a boss step back and rest up a little. Constant efforts and awareness of supplies and other needs are necessary for ongoing success.

Tiffany relishes her role in creating a gathering place and getting to know many community members. She likes doing extras like contributing coffee baskets for fundraisers, donating money to community causes and reaching out with special gestures like providing coffee for the “cop shop”. She also has catered small events like her cousin’s wedding.

Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? She shares from her own experience that it is necessary to be tough enough not to give up despite challenges, and she feels that hard work pays off in the long run. Finally, creative ideas to expand business and meet customer needs are a must.

As we appreciate Tiffany’s contribution to our community and area, we can be glad that her passion for coffee means that we can have an excellent treat and provide her with a thanknyou – making sure our eyes light up and make her day!