In honor of its 10th anniversary, we’re highlighting Waterbean Coffee—another Texas Coffee School Coffeepreneur® all-star. With 14 locations and its own roastery, Waterbean is a great example of how vertically integrated scaling can lead to more efficiency, more profit, loyalty from the community, and a more positive impact for coffee producers. Learn more about Waterbean and its founder, former Texas Coffee School student Tony Vo, below.
Feature photo of Tony is by Kat Lawrence for Inside UNC Charlotte.
Kreative Grounds Cafe is a place to grab a coffee and tasty treat while enjoying local art in McAllen, Texas. It’s also the long-awaited dream come true of Kris Karr and her daughter, Adrienne Gordon, Texas Coffee School Coffeepreneurs®.
Kris dreamed of owning a coffee shop and showcasing local art for three decades. Her idea began when she was an art student in Houston. But she moved back to the Valley as a single mother and couldn’t pursue that dream—for the time being.
For many entrepreneurs, the dream doesn’t end at one coffee shop. And why should it? When your business concept is a success, the sky’s the limit on how big your coffee shop dreams can be. Do you imagine multiple locations? A well-known coffee brand? Adding a truck or drive-thru? It’s possible to scale your coffee shop business to meet your goals.
Of course, growth doesn’t happen automatically. It requires time, strategy, and careful planning.
At Texas Coffee School, our students open all kinds of coffee shops in all kinds of places. But some of them, like Elizabeth Estabrook, open coffee shops that can go all kinds of places. Lady Sunshine Coffee is a coffee truck that Elizabeth operates out of a sunny yellow VW Vanagon. Hers is one of many mobile coffee businesses our students have opened in recent years. In an interview with Elizabeth, she shared her story of starting a mobile coffee business.
If you’re going to invest in a coffee shop business class, it’s a good idea to see what former students have to say about their experience. Many barista training programs or coffee education programs claim their classes will help you open a coffee shop. Can they prove it? Here are a few things to think about as you research the best coffee business courses: