Running a successful coffee shop brings intrinsic rewards—like pride in your product, satisfaction of building something from scratch, and fulfillment of a lifelong dream. But it doesn’t hurt when other people notice your success, too. After a year of steady growth, Country Charm Coffee, run by Coffeepreneur® Kevin Daugherty, was recently nominated for four awards by the local Chamber of Commerce.
Located in Anna, Texas, Country Charm was nominated as Small Business of the Year, New Business of the Year, Businessperson of the Year, and Community Partner of the Year.
We’re proud to call Kevin a Texas Coffee School former student! To celebrate his achievements, we’re sharing some of the optimal moves he made in the beginning of his coffee entrepreneurship journey.
Kevin started his coffee business at our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class®, putting him on the right path to a prime location and business concept. If you’re ready to take your first step, sign up for a class this year.
1. Strategic Career Change
Kevin was a paramedic for 20 years after leaving the Army in 2003. But “I didn’t foresee myself being a paramedic for the next 20 years,” he explains. He began pondering what to do next.
He and his wife often went on dates to coffee shops, and he had a passion for baking, espresso, and talking to people. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to Texas Coffee School, which he says “helped to answer many of the questions that I had prior to opening.”
Today, Kevin uses his managerial experience from the Army and his acquired culinary skills on a daily basis at Country Charm Coffee. His energy has brought a breath of fresh air to the coffee scene in rural North Texas.
2. Smart Location Choice and Buildout
Choosing the right location can make or break your retail coffee business. That first year of revenue relies heavily on foot and car traffic, nearby businesses, and a lease with good terms. Fortunately, Kevin found the right realtor to secure his current property.
It wasn’t an easy start—he looked for property all over Texas and went through six realtors. One day, he was at a dog wash business and began chatting with the owner, who shared details about their street traffic and offered the name of their realtor. Kevin and the new realtor worked together to find the ideal space. He then funded his business start-up by borrowing against his home’s equity. While negotiating the lease, he used suggestions he learned in our classroom.
From there, he built out the entire coffee shop with his own hands. That’s right—he didn’t hire contractors, but instead watched YouTube videos and tackled it himself. “I didn’t realize how cool my coffee shop looked until I saw it in a commercial,” Kevin laughs. You can see the cozy space in the commercial below!
“When designing my space, I referred to the designs provided [by Texas Coffee School], and used many of them in the shop,” Kevin says. “We decided to forego a space with a drive-thru so that we could focus on providing a gathering area for customers to feel comfortable. We have plenty of outlets, great Wi-Fi, and a bright atmosphere for work, study, or socializing.”
Thanks to Kevin’s enduring property search, negotiating skills, and do-it-yourself mentality, he now has an affordable, ambient venue that welcomes hundreds of customers through the doors.
Inside of Country Charm Coffee before the buildout.
Kevin built the coffee shop’s counter himself.
3. Strong Business Concept
At Texas Coffee School, we say the first step of starting a coffee shop is creating a unique business concept. For Country Charm Coffee, the concept is relaxing on Grandma’s front porch. It’s unconditionally warm and inviting. The drinks and baked goods are always divine. And it’s out in the country, which brings a certain nostalgia that people crave.
“Some of our recipes are the same ones I grew up on,” Kevin says. “We found that Anna, TX, still had a small town feel but plenty of population to support our business concept.”
Not all of their customers are familiar with specialty coffee drinks, so he and his team make an effort to educate customers on products and preferences in a non-demeaning way. This is a common theme among other rural coffee shops, like Three Branches Cafe and KT’z Espresso Kafe. Local residents might be used to gas station or chain brand coffee. When a specialty coffee shop moves in, it’s an unexpected delight.
Country Charm’s menu offers homemade goods with simple ingredients. Their most popular items are blueberry, ham & cheese, and jalapeño scones. They also have two of Kevin’s mom’s recipes on the menu, snickerdoodle and cowboy cookies.
4. Integrated in the Community
In a small town, it’s vital to become woven into the community. Local businesses often rely on word of mouth, partner relationships, and multi-use facilities. Country Charm Coffee wasted no time with all three.
Kevin and his team hosted a soft opening for friends and family, followed by a grand opening in February 2024. As soon as they opened the door, Kevin had locals asking for ways to participate in the space. Now, Country Charm regularly hosts church groups, a Socractic circle, and vendor pop-ups.
Their point-of-sale system offers online ordering for pick-up, and you can also order delivery through DoorDash. Recently, Kevin’s been dropping off gifted cookies at local businesses to let them know he can deliver orders to their office. He even partnered with a local dentist to include a free cookie coupon with the dental practice’s Christmas mailing list—a great promotion he didn’t have to foot the bill for.
All in all, Kevin’s efforts have gone a long way. “From the moment I stepped into the cozy atmosphere, I was struck by the owner’s genuine warmth and welcoming demeanor,” says Reese, a Google reviewer. “His down-to-earth approach to customer interaction is truly refreshing, making every visit feel like a visit with a friend. As an entrepreneur myself, I appreciate the owner’s evident pride in his profession and his commitment to serving the highest-quality coffee.”
“This place is the best coffee place in a 100 mile radius,” declares another Google reviewer, Karson.
A group gathers at Country Charm Coffee.
Take the Plunge at Texas Coffee School’s 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class®
Kevin has learned many lessons in his first year of coffee business ownership—and it all began at Texas Coffee School. He’s since negotiated a lease and figured out staffing so he doesn’t have to work 80 hours a week. His current mantra is to “keep improving.” As he puts it, if you’re not improving, you’re staying stagnant.
If you’re ready to get momentum going for your coffee shop business, our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class® is the right place to start. Learn how to write a coffee shop business plan, project start-up costs, choose equipment, plan menus, manage operations profitably, craft elevated hot and cold drinks, and more. Leave with a 240+ page binder you can refer to at every step of your business journey. Sign up for a weekend here!
