From South Point, OH, a small town with a population of 4,000, Robby moved to Dayton, OH after accepting the position as Operational Manager of The Bridge. Robby applied for the position after hearing about it from his girlfriend and enjoys his role as the Operational Manager. With 90% of the cafe's customers being repeat customers, Robby values the customer-to-cafe relationship over the product. He is often engaging with customers on a first-name basis.
The Bridge, a cafe owned by Beavercreek Church of Nazarene opened nearly ten years ago. The cafe is located in the residential area of Wright State University and used to be a tanning salon. Since the opening of the cafe, renovations, expansion, and redecorating has taken place.
After technical difficulties with the freezer the night before, Robby had to bring a new freezer to the cafe before opening. Robby's employee Will is seen helping him unload the freezer off the truck. Most of their ingredients require freezing with milkshakes and smoothies being the most popular product. The popularity of milkshakes contributes to the challenge of keeping up with product in inventory. The cafe goes through roughly 60 gallons of ice cream a week.
"The Bridge is a warm, welcoming place," Will said. Will began working at The Bridge two years ago. The cafe provides espresso drinks, smoothies, milkshakes, teas, sandwiches and other refreshments and desserts.
Before opening the cafe, Robby spends his time attending meetings and picking up product. Robby's day starts later than normal and usually does not end until 1:00 in the morning.
Because the Bridge is located within Wright State University's residential area, the majority of The Bridge's customers are college students. This is an aspect that Robby enjoys the most because it makes it easier to build relationships with the customers. He sees most of the customers within the first few months of opening because students live in the vicinity and come frequently to study and relax.
Ryan is Robby's younger brother and attends Wright State University. Robby gradually allowed Ryan to work at The Bridge while in school and now they work together nearly every night. During high school and undergrad, Robby worked at a local restaurant in his hometown. There he gained restaurant management, serving and even milkshake-making skills.
With his education in both business and ministry, Robby is able to achieve his goal of genuinely creating relationships in order to foster faith. Under Robby's management, the cafe implements small study groups, hosts worship music nights and provides a community for people to gather.