2021’s Manager
of the Year winner has been in the industry for years.
Starting at 15 at Santa Fe’s Haagen-Dazs. She moved up,
including managing the Student Café in college. 20 years ago,
she began Barista work at began Barista work at Ohori's Coffee,
Tea, and Chocolate, and became the General Manager in 2006.
She gained partial ownership and continued as general manager for
what is now Ohori's Coffee Roasters in 2017.
She has shown
extraordinary management skills in listening and training staff,
provides a safe environment for staff and customers and continues
to run a thriving local business in a truly difficult time. At the
same time she was juggling new rules, she was expanding Ohori’s
online presence and capabilities and a local delivery program. This
“Management Superhero” showed powers of empathy, leadership, and
outreach. She also provided
her staff with private therapy sessions, when requested, to connect
them with what they needed to be better baristas as well as better
people. She models racial and cultural sensitivity both with her
customers and her staff. This dedicated manager sticks by
Ohori’s “North Star” - the aspiration to provide the normality of
getting coffee (with a side of kindness) to all of their customers
during the pandemic.
NMRA is proud
to honor our 2021 Manager of the year, Tai Ayers of Ohori’s Coffee
Roasters.
About the Podcast
New Mexico Restaurants Now is where we get you the inside scoop on the food scene across New Mexico.