Katelynn Burns

Business Ethics

Portfolio: Word Count = 1,328

December 15, 2012

Black Bean is a coffee shop I have that offers an array of different coffee, espresso, and

barista assorted choices, such as smoothies, lattes, boba filled drinks, and teas, for consumers to

drink. Additionally, there is a variety of Mediterranean and coast inspired paninis and appetizers

to awe customers. Along with food and drink choices, the café also double as a hookah bar. The

variety of shisha includes everything from passion fruit to guava to grape to coca. The café will

begin in Rolla where there are copious amounts of college students who have to drive two hours

if they would like to smoke shisha at a bar. This will also combine some of Rolla’s most popular

aspects in food and drink (coffee, boba, and foreign food) to encourage students and residents to

have a one-stop shop to satisfy all of their cravings. Marketing and advertising for this café will

happen via radio, such as KMNR, paper advertisements, as seen in the Missouri Miner, and word

of mouth. A place such as a café depends heavily on word of mouth advertisement in a town

such as this. There will also be open mic nights and local bands will be booked to play. Events

that seem a tad eccentric for the Rolla culture will also be hosted. These types of events will

more likely than not be drag shows because those are absolutely awesome.

In order to expand the number of stores, stockholders will be needed. Having shared

ownership will enable the company to have enough money to grow and allow others to have a

greater say in what happens with the company over just one owner. I believe having shared

ownership will enable progress over static decisions. Dynamic leadership can be fostered with

shared leadership. The majority of the stakeholders for the Black Bean will be students at

Missouri S&T because they will be the target audience and I want them to have a say in where

they see the Rolla store going. This store will be open seven days a week from seven in the

morning to midnight on weekdays and nine in the morning to two the following morning on

weekends. Friday nights will follow the weekend close time and Sunday nights will follow the

weekday close time. The café will require about three workers at any given point in time to start

out. There will be close to twenty employees to start out.

Moral issues that may arise are concerned with the smoking of shisha and consumption of

caffeine. There is still a lot of research being done into the harm of hookah smoking however it

seems that hookah smoking could be more dangerous than cigarette smoking. Mayo Clinic

reports, “A hookah is a water pipe with a smoke chamber, a bowl, a pipe and a hose. Specially

made tobacco is heated, and the smoke passes through water and is then drawn through a rubber

hose to a mouthpiece. The tobacco is no less toxic in a hookah pipe, and the water in the hookah

does not filter out the toxic ingredients in the tobacco smoke. Hookah smokers may actually

inhale more tobacco smoke than cigarette smokers do because of the large volume of smoke they

inhale in one smoking session, which can last as long as 60 minutes. While research about

hookah smoking is still emerging, evidence shows that it poses many dangers: Hookah smoke

contains high levels of toxic compounds, including tar, carbon monoxide, heavy metals and

cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens). In fact, hookah smokers are exposed to more carbon

monoxide and smoke than are cigarette smokers. As with cigarette smoking, hookah smoking is

linked to lung and oral cancers, heart disease, and other serious illnesses. Hookah smoking

delivers about the same amount of nicotine as cigarette smoking, possibly leading to tobacco

dependence. Hookah smoke poses dangers associated with secondhand smoke. Hookah smoking

by pregnant women can result in low birth weight babies. Hookah pipes used in hookah bars and

cafes may not be cleaned properly, risking the spread of infectious diseases.”

With this knowledge comes the question of whether or not allowing people to smoke is

morally permissible. Additionally, fostering caffeine consumption is also questionable as

caffeine can have hazardous effects on an individual. Caffeine is considered a drug as it affects

the central nervous system. Most doctors would recommend keeping caffeine consumption

between 100 and 300mg, while not exceeding 400mg. A 12oz cup of tea has about 70mg of

caffeine while black coffee has 115mg per 5oz cup. Selling espresso shots and knowingly selling

drinks with more caffeine to an individual than a doctor would recommend can create a moral

conflict.

Working with food, drinks, and money also creates situations for moral conflict. When

working with food and drink, some individuals might not want to properly clean their stations

and utensils, creating an unsanitary environment. This also includes making sure employees are

using gloves, tying back hair, and asking employees to stay home when they are not well. Also,

if an employee has an issue with a customer, they need to not take it out on the food/drink. When

employees are dealing with money, there need to be standards of ethics properly relayed to each

employee in order to make it very clear the standard that employees need to be held to.

Another issue that could come up is with advertisement and the customers who come to

the café. I will need to make sure that it clearly states that this establishment is also a hookah bar.

It would be incredibly frustrating for an individual who comes to the Black Bean and doesn’t

realize it is a smoking establishment. For instance, if a mom walks in to get a coffee with her six

year old son, she would not want to have him breathing in smoke. It would then fall upon the

restaurant for not informing her of the hookah smoking. Also, in Rolla there is a smoking ban

(currently, establishments such as bars are trying to appeal it). This would be something I would

have to work around.

As far as the consumption of tobacco and caffeinated products, this is similar to that of

bars and alcohol. It is left up to the individual to judge how much and what they put into their

bodies. That is a personal responsibility and thus not the café’s responsibility. With the sanitation

of the café, it is critical that all employees are given the right tools, such as gloves, sanitary

water, wash clothes, etc. in order to maintain a clean environment. Proper training in terms of

sanitation and professionalism will also be necessary as those who are educated can better

project that education within their work. If there are violations of sanitation procedures, there

will be a zero tolerance policy. I will not have any issues in regards to that and there are enough

people looking for jobs that I am completely unconcerned with replacing individuals. As far as

making the establishment accessible to all customers, there will be a drive-thru window for drink

and food orders so I can reach a reasonable customer base and enable all of Rolla to experience

the joys of the Black Bean. Rolla’s smoking ban can also be lifted at establishments that have

adequate ventilation systems that pass inspection.

Ethics Standards that all employees must follow include:

Wearing hair tied back if it is long enough to be pulled back

Wearing hats to cover hair

Wearing gloves when working with any food product

Properly following all safety and sanitation procedures

Treating all customers as if they were your grandmother

Showing respect and openness to all fellow employees and supervisors

Following all legal guidelines

Treating store profits with the utmost respect and keeping them as store profits

The mission statement for the manager will be as follows:

To maintain an open, positive workplace fostering care and cleanliness