Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in coffee, but not sure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Elizabeth Fiegle, the founder of River Road Coffee and Popsicles, a coffee shop serving popsicles, in Florida, USA.
Tell us all about your business...
River Road Coffee and Popsicles is a craft coffee and gourmet popsicle shop in Cocoa Village. We strive to source local natural ingredients for our coffee syrups and popsicles that we make ourselves. We have been open almost three years and have the best customers ever.
Our community at River Road ranges from students to families to professionals. Our goal is to have something for everyone to find their space here whether they are studying, working, or just connecting with their friends or family.
What's your background and motivation to grow as a business owner?
There are moments encapsulated in the walls of a coffee shop that make it feel like home. People meeting to hang out or go on a first date. People building their dreams at the table while sipping on a latte. People studying for finals for 6 hours straight while downing an ungodly amount of cold brew to keep them awake. People not wanting to be alone, so they come to talk with their barista and share what is happening in their life.
In 2018, when I realized my dream of opening my own coffee and popsicle shop was a reality that could happen, I knew I wanted to create a space that made people feel at home. I knew I wanted to have tables for working, couches for conversations, a kids area so parents would know their families are welcomed in our walls; I wanted people to feel ownership when they walked into River Road that we were their coffee shop - and all of this accompanied with their favorite latte or popsicle in hand.
You see, coffee and popsicles are the tools we use to build community in our town. What keeps me going is Jenn and hearing about her life and what's happening in her family. Its Vaughn coming in twice a day for his large latte and offering a smile and kind word to the baristas. It's the smile and the excitement we see from kids when we hand them their popsicle to enjoy. It's the relief we see on parents faces when they realize we have a space created for their kids to play so they can sit and breathe for a minute.
Its customers turning into staff members that we couldn't imagine River Road without. It's hosting baby showers, birthday parties, weddings (yeah, we did that), cancer care meetings, and creative classes. It's the moments of life that our community invites us to be a part of. It’s my staff, all of them past & present.
It’s having a deep desire to be a good boss to my employees and show them that they matter. It’s knowing I only get to be in their lives as their boss for a short amount of time because we are the job that most people do on the way to their dreams and careers. It’s getting to support them as they figure themselves out, offer a kind word and call out the good I see in them. It’s showing them that a working environment can be fun, functional, and encouraging, It’s feeling pride over them when they learn a new latte art skill or move towards their dreams.
I tell all of my staff when I hire them that I want them to leave River Road better than when they started. It’s hoping that they will look back on their time at River Road with fondness and be grateful for those moments in time when we got to make coffee and popsicles for people and experience life together. I believe there is something magical about coffee shops and I’m just thankful that River Road gets to add to that magic.
As an entrepreneur, what does success ultimately mean to you?
Staying open and alive through the Pandemic.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being an entrepreneur?
Learning to balance your personal life, professional life, and giving yourself permission to rest when there is always something to be done at your business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run or grow a small business today?
The best advice I ever got before opening River Road was from my dad who is also a small business owner. He told me to go work a year in the field you are wanting to start your business in, to do everything from the bottom to the top and if you still loved what you did after that year - then throw everything at it to make it happen.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Support local coffee shops.
Where can people find you online?
https://www.riverroadcp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RiverRoadCoffeeandPopsicles
https://www.instagram.com/riverroadcp/?hl=en
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as an entrepreneur or business coach that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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