Two weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic led the world to shut down, The Mellow SF opened for business. Purposefully located in the Mission neighborhood in San Francisco, co-owners Lorena Cortez and David Velasco were sure of two things at the start of their business journey: they wanted their brick-and-mortar to ideally have Spanish speaking neighbors so it’d feel like home, and they wanted to open a plant store that would grow to include plant workshops.
While the Mission made it possible for them to have Spanish-speaking neighbors, the pandemic forced them to stretch their plant store dreams. “Because of COVID-19, our business did have to transition, and we’ve been pivoting ever since,” said Cortez. In addition to selling plants, pots, planting tools, and hosting workshops, The Mellow SF also opened a barbershop and a coffee bar — all under the same roof at its location in the Haight neighborhood. Cortez and Velasco even rent out the business space for different events in the local community.
Each pivot gave way for the co-owners to embrace their backgrounds in different ways so that they and their customers never get bored. “A lot of it is things we love,” said Velasco. “I’m a musician, and she comes from design and arts. I also did a bunch of coffee-related ventures when I moved to the city from Barcelona,” he added.
“It keeps things exciting every day…You never know what the day is going to bring,” added Cortez. For a business with so many moving parts, one thing that’s a must-have is cohesion. And for that, they partner with Square.
Handling retail, beauty, and restaurant inventory with ease
Because Mellow Haight SF has three core components of the business — a retail store, a cafe, and a barbershop — they needed one streamlined way to manage all three aspects. They also wanted each of the business components to feel connected and not wholly distinct from each other. With Square, Cortez and Velasco can operate their complex business from one point-of-sale (POS). From one POS system, they can manage their barbershop bookings, plant workshops and classes, take coffee shop orders, and solve for one of its biggest challenges: inventory.
“Square has helped us really do our best at keeping inventory counts in a single place. We can manage what we have in-house, what we have to order, and the minimum amounts that we have in storage, so we can place an order with our vendors. Inventory management is a big one, and we are still perfecting it. It takes a lot. Square has helped a bunch with that,” explained Velasco.
Beyond keeping up with stock, the team is able to simplify purchase orders so they can easily receive and accept inventory and begin selling. “Square has made it easy for us to create purchase orders so when the items arrive, our team can just [mark it as] ‘received’ and we can print our barcode stickers. So, it really expedites it because we do have a lot of inventory,” added Cortez.
Building out full customer relationships with customer-centric tools
At Mellow Haight SF, staff can connect with customers across multiple facets of their lives. Whether it’s a life-changing haircut, their daily coffee order, or their journey into plant parenthood, staff are able to build relationships across touchpoints to create a fuller customer experience and encourage loyalty. In fact, the business leverages Square to power its loyalty program, allowing it to take customer relationships a level deeper.
“Our regulars use a really engaging system through Square Loyalty, so they can accrue points and exchange those points for discounts or perks…it allows us to engage with our clientele more intentionally,” said Velasco.
Operating the business from a singular POS system also allows them to dive deep into customer trends so they can learn even more about their regulars. For instance, they can see how loyalty members spend compared to that of non-loyalty members. They can even zero in on specific customers to see their activity to make a note of what time they usually come in or their last visit, so they can be better prepared to service them.
Using technology to power a future rooted in connection
Operating as a one-stop shop for multiple customer needs is the driving force behind Mellow Haight SF. As the business continues to grow, creating an even more seamless experience is what they’re focusing on for the future. Cortez and Velasco are planning to implement new Square tools like Square Handheld into their business, and they already have ideas on how it can reshape the customer experience.
On days when a line forms at the coffee bar, Cortez sees a world where she’s able to swiftly step in and check customers out with ease. “Being able to jump from the retail side to the coffee bar [will be huge], because sometimes at the coffee bar there’s a line, and David and I have to jump over there so we can check people out. Not having to walk to the POS…It’ll make all the difference.”
At a business that’s built on multiple connection points, having the opportunity to create close customer connections with a powerful and pocketable device makes the connection even more seamless and personal, feeding into the culture at Mellow Haight SF. “I think one reason why we have a storefront is so that we can have those one-on-one connections with our clients or customers that come through. So whether they’re getting a coffee or a haircut or just buying a plant, we have those intentional conversations where they’re pulling up their phones and showing us [parts of their life].”
