New book · Available now
Starbucks: The Coffeehouse Powerhouse in Healthcare
Why Starbucks is not just the best coffee brand — but the best complementary brand — for healthcare.
A familiar place. A powerful difference.
About the book
You're not reading this book because you need coffee. You have coffee.
You're reading this because, somewhere on your campus, a nurse just lost a patient and needs to reset. A husband is sitting in a waiting room, wondering how to get through the next six hours. A respiratory therapist is three hours into a long shift and running on empty.
They need a moment. A familiar face. A boost. Their customized drink where it feels, for a few minutes, like their retreat. Starbucks is that Third Place where they feel safe, comfortable, and whole.
That's what this book is about.
The hospitals that lead in patient experience don't just deliver excellent clinical care. They take care of the whole person. Every shift. Every family. Every cup.
Hospitality as a form of care
Meet Greg
Gregory A. Sausaman is a complementary branding strategist and the author of two books: Inside the Box: The Power of Complementary Branding and Starbucks: The Coffeehouse Powerhouse in Healthcare.
His career runs from multi-unit Domino's ownership to licensed Starbucks operations, where he has spent years bringing coffeehouses into hospitals — places where nurses reset between patients, families find their footing, and staff stay on campus.
Greg writes and speaks about hospitality as a form of care, and about the operating discipline it takes to deliver it every shift.
Four operating pillars
Act Like an Owner
Every team member treats the business, and every guest, as their own.
Teamwork
Coaching and development over punishment, so people grow into leaders.
Bringing Out the Highest and Best — on Both Sides of the Counter
Personal service for guests and real growth for the team serving them.
Elite Operations
Consistent standards, training, and execution, every single shift.
The consulting practice
Complementary branding: 1 + 1 = 3
Complementary branding pairs a trusted guest brand with the right host environment so each makes the other more valuable. Greg helps healthcare campuses and licensee organizations explore, plan, and build those partnerships.
Start a conversation
Invite Greg to speak
Author talks, conference keynotes, leadership retreats, and media interviews.
Email greg@gregsausaman.com