Sarah Irvin spent eight years working in a veterinary hospital. It’s no surprise that during this time, she never once pulled a shot of espresso for a customer. Flash forward to today. Sarah the owner of The Frenchie Fix in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. She started serving coffee at pop-ups in September 2025 and recently celebrated her first year in business.
How did Sarah make the jump from working in a veterinary hospital to owning a mobile coffee business?
In January 2020, David Hurley had a plan to open his own coffee shop. He even had an investor and a space he liked. That month, he attended Texas Coffee School’s 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class® and left ready to move forward with his business. We all know what happened next. COVID hit, the world shut down, and David set aside his dream of opening a coffee shop.
Wayne Martin coaches martial arts at the gym he co-owns: Red Wolf Martial Arts in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Recently, he and business partner Mike Mendoza added something new. Most Fly Coffee Company is a Filipino-inspired coffee shop next door to the gym. A window connects the two businesses, so Red Wolf patrons (often parents watching their kids’ classes) can order coffee without having to leave the gym.
In this article, we break down how Wayne and Mike are building one community space out of two businesses.
Blasia Esposito is finishing up her third year as a 7th grade English teacher. She was in her classroom when our team spoke to her on Zoom, backlit by string lights and an announcement of “13 Days Left of School” written on the whiteboard.
She may be counting down to a break from the classroom, but she’s gearing up for a busy season for her business: Blasia’s Coffee and Tea.
For small businesses, it feels like no amount of marketing can ever be enough. More social posts, more reviews, more events! If you feel like you’ve tried every creative way to drive foot traffic through your doors, we’ve got an alternative solution for you: coffee.
Picture a trip to the book shop, the garden center, the car wash, the gym, or the hair salon. What would make each one just a little better?