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.