Yes! You Should Open a Family-Owned Coffee Shop

Entrepreneurship can be a successful family affair. For these coffee shop owners, that’s exactly what they set out to create: a space where their family could build together, work together and leave a lasting legacy in their community. 

If you’re considering opening a coffee shop with a family member, find inspiration from our former students. Spouses, siblings, parents, or adult children– it’s possible the best business partner for you is living under the same roof.

The Brother-Sister Owners of Ugly Mug Coffee House

Jeffrey and Chelsea Poe had the dream of a coffee shop brewing in their minds for a couple of years. Wanting to start their enterprise fully informed and prepared, they attended Texas Coffee School together. 

Jeffrey has a business degree, but walked out of our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class® with a wealth of new knowledge and skills. Chelsea took right to the hands-on barista training. Together, they opened Ugly Mug in October 2025 in McKinney, TX. 

Apropos for a brother and sister, they wanted to create a space that was family friendly. Ugly Mug serves coffee, sodas, lemonades, teas, and more. Unlike the name, however, the space is beautiful. Ugly Mug is warm, inviting, and playful. Plus, the drive-thru makes it convenient for families on the go!

The Mother-Daughter Duo at Kreative Grounds

Kris Karr and her daughter Adrienne Gordon had a decades-long dream to open a coffee shop. It started with Kris was a young art student. She wanted to create a space to showcase local artists and bring the community together. As a single mother, however, she had to set her dream aside to support her family. She worked in a furniture retailer for 26 years before, finally, she got her chance. 

She and Adrienne attended our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class® in 2023 together. “I felt so ready after that class,” Kris shared. They left their careers and worked to bring Kreative Grounds to life. 

Learn more about their inspiring story and their creative, art-filled dream come true: Kreative Grounds is a Mother-Daughter Dream Come True

The Husband-Wife Dream Team Behind Galindo’s

Husband and wife Zak and Sophie Galindo are building an empire. 

It started with Zak’s barber shop, which kept outgrowing its space. As an aesthetician, Sophie offered services at the barber shop until she, too, needed her own business, Galindo Aesthetics. 

But why stop at two businesses when you can have three? The coffee-loving couple wanted a business they could run together, which is why they created Galindo’s Coffee + Elixirs: coffee by day, cocktails by night. 

An elegant hybrid model, the businesses serve and support each other. All in, the Galindos now own Galindo’s Barber Shop, Galindo Aesthetics, Galindo’s Coffee + Elixirs, and Galindo’s Bakery and Deli. Each business serves to drive foot traffic and awareness to the next. 

“I wanted to build a community and leave a legacy for our future kids,” Zak shared. 

Read our feature story on the power couple here: Galindo’s is the Hybrid Business Model of Tomorrow

A Full Family Affair at Serenity Sips

CJ Potter and her husband Ryan own Serenity Sips Bar and Wellness Emporium together. CJ set out to create a space that would bring the community together, but also focus on wellness, healing, and balance. She had big dreams, and needed a big team to pull them together. That wasn’t a problem for CJ; she just needed to bring in more family members. 

CJ’s sister Gracie co-owns the shop and runs operations. Their mom spends her days making chicken salad in the kitchen and running financials. Their dad was the business’s general contractor. 

It was CJ’s niece who attended Texas Coffee School, along with Gracie. Together they used their knowledge to launch the coffee program. Countless other family members, and now staff who have become family members, work each day to run and grow the business. That includes the Texas Coffee School family; Serenity Sips sources pastries from Galindo’s Bakery! 

“Born from our family’s dream, our mission is to blend relaxation, wellness, and community into one unparalleled experience,” says the Serenity Sips team.

Read our full feature story here: Serenity Sips: Coffee Meets Wellness in this Family Enterprise

A Family Shares Their Yemeni Culture at Arwa Yemeni Coffee

Yazan Soofi is a co-founder of Arwa Yemeni Coffee, along with his Susan Shihab, sister Nora Soofi, and her husband Faris Almatrahi. The family opened Arwa’s first location in Richardson, TX in 2022 after Yazan had attended our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class®. 

Yazan set out to share a taste of his culture. He brought Yemen into every single detail of the shop: the aesthetic, the drinks, the food, and the hospitality. The community embraced the Richardson location wholeheartedly–with lines out the door and multiple visits from local influencers and journalists.

Although it took five full years from the team’s initial idea to turn into a real coffee shop (all four kept their fulltime jobs in the process), they’re scaling and lightning speed. As we publish this article, Arwa has opened five locations in three states with eight more locations already underway. 

Read our full feature to learn how this family business came to be: Arwa Yemeni Coffee: Coffee Shop Success Story

Start Your Family-Owned Coffee Shop at Texas Coffee School

What would it be like to work with your favorite people? To build a legacy for the next generation? To grow something together? These are just a handful of the family-owned businesses our former students have created. Hundreds more exist all over the country.

Start your dream of a family-owned coffee shop at Texas Coffee School. Register for our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class®. (Don’t forget to bring your mom, brother, daughter, cousin, or friend!) We can’t wait to share your success story when you open your coffee business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it a good idea to open a family-owned coffee shop?

Yes! Coffee shops are wonderful businesses to open with family members, as they are centered around community. From managing operations to working behind the bar, there is something for everyone to do at a coffee shop. Many of our graduates have gone on to open successful family-owned coffee businesses with spouses, siblings, adult children, or all of the above.

What are the benefits of running a family-owned coffee shop?

Coffee businesses provide career opportunities for many different types of skillsets. Likewise, you and your family members likely bring different skills to the table. The co-founders of Arwa Yemeni Coffee had backgrounds in engineering, marketing, and more. Zak and Sophie Galindo used their skills to run their own businesses (barbering and aesthetics) before joining together to add a coffee program. Now, both Arwa and Galindo’s have scaled considerably. There can be strength in numbers.