Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dani Cone, CEO of Cone & Steiner General, located in Seattle, WA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Cone & Steiner is a modern take on the classic general store, and we believe that people come together over good food and drink. Cone & Steiner features specialty, local, and basic goods at our two Seattle stores and online/delivery platform as well. C&S is based on my Great Grandfather Sam Cone’s original store of the same name, established in Seattle in 1915 shortly after he came to this country. As a young man who didn’t know anyone here or even know the language, he created a community for himself through his business, providing folks with meats and groceries and provisions and a space to gather. This is where and how community happens.

Cone & Steiner is a true Seattle original, an everyday market where shopping local is made convenient.

Tell us about yourself

I have three great loves: great coffee, great food, and community. After many years of working as a barista, I started my first business, Fuel Coffee, in 2005. By 2007, we had 3 locations around Seattle, and then the recession hit. It was during the troubled economy in 2008 that my next business, High 5 Pie, was launched to bring a little "delicious comfort" to tough times. I believe wholeheartedly that people come together over good food and drink and create places that offer this experience. This belief and mission led to opening Cone & Steiner General in 2014, a neighborhood market modeled after my Great Grandfather's store of the same name that was here in Seattle over 100 years ago! We believe in the power and importance of building community through good food and everyday places. Everyone needs a place to go where they can feel connected, where someone is happy to see them, where they are welcome, and of course, everyone needs to eat! :)

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Oh gosh, this is tough to think about, especially after these very difficult past couple of years...it's hard to recognize or feel any sort of "accomplishment" a lot of the time! That said, I have been enormously lucky to be able to create a career (business ownership) out of a job (barista!) that I loved. I fell in love with being a barista decades ago for so many reasons...of course, I love coffee, but what I really fell in love with was the people, all sorts of people from all walks of life, on all sides of the counter. It has been a true honor to get to work with some of the most talented and dedicated individuals I've ever known, folks who share this vision of building community through everyday places with good things to eat and drink. From our place behind the counter, we've gotten to see folks through good times and tough times, watch kids grow up, see couples get engaged, extend a hand or a shoulder to cry on through life transitions, give someone a first job or their first "yes" for shelf space for their new product, build lifelong friendships and more. I am deeply humbled by and grateful for each time I get to see someone enjoying our shop. And, when I think about it honestly, I know that all the while that I've focused on creating these places for people to enjoy coming to and working at, it is these folks who have really been the ones who have created that for me.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Good grief...so many things! :). And the list definitely got longer in the past while! Finances are, of course, a difficult part of business ownership that just comes with the territory, though. Besides that, one piece that has been particularly tough the past couple of years is trying to find the right balance between keeping up motivation and making sure our team feels supported while still being human and experiencing the tough times alongside them too. I feel it's important, to be honest, realistic, and humanly vulnerable...but at the same time, it's imperative to be strong and consistently supportive, focused on the path forward. I believe so completely in what we are building. Yet, there are definitely dark days and many sleepless nights as we navigate risks, a pandemic, changing landscapes of consumer behavior, and more. But, the lights are on, and the doors are open, so onward we go!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Take yourself (and your ideas) seriously. It's easy to fall into the traps of thinking an idea isn't new/different/good enough, but what if it is? How could you make it so? Or, many people think that only "those" types of people can start a business...rich people, tech people, people with all sorts of degrees, etc., etc. But, YOU can too. There isn't a certain type of person who can or should start a business. You just have to love something enough to work on it more hours than you ever thought possible because you just can't not do it.
  2. Talk to people! Share your ideas, ask questions, reach out for help! Chances are, no matter what business you're starting or running or growing, there are people out there who have done it or at least something similar...ask for help or information or advice! You don't have to reinvent the wheel...or, if you really want to do just that, then at least don't feel you have to do it alone.
  3. Don't install the refrigerator door backward (yep, that's possible). And, if you do, definitely don't stubbornly keep it that way for 15 years. :)

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Thank you so much for reaching out and for sharing our story a bit! I hope you know what a huge impact it makes that folks like you are working so hard to create visibility and a space for small business owners like us to share some thoughts and experiences. Thank you.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.coneandsteiner.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coneandsteiner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coneandsteiner/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/coneandsteiner
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coneandsteiner/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.