Coffee Shop with a Heart - Independent Grounds Cafe

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lorna Heid, owner of Independent Grounds Cafe, located in Kennesaw, GA, USA.

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

I own Independent Grounds Cafe, a coffee shop in Kennesaw, Georgia, that serves great coffee and also has the unique mission of providing meaningful employment for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. We're located across the street from Kennesaw State University's Fifth Third Bank Stadium, so our customers are a mix of college students, KSU employees, members of the special needs community, and their families, along with coffee lovers in the greater Kennesaw area. With cozy spaces, free Wi-Fi, online ordering, and curbside delivery, we are the perfect spot to meet, work, study, or grab your morning brew.

Tell us about yourself

I was a paralegal for 17 years, working in trial defense firms in Atlanta. The idea for the coffee shop didn't begin to form until my oldest daughter, Emma, neared high school graduation. Emma suffered a traumatic brain injury from meningitis as a newborn and is considered mildly intellectually disabled. Because of this, she joins a large population of disabled adults who not only can work but are often underemployed or unemployed. The idea of providing Emma and her peers with meaningful work and support along with an avenue to greater independence for both herself and other families is what drives me each day.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think just surviving the pandemic and opening a new location last year despite all the obstacles with funding and construction delays is my biggest accomplishment. That and being a single mom with two teenage daughters and showing them every day that they can do anything they put their minds to. Even starting your own business at age 50 and learning on the go.

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

I think the hardest is also what drives us as a small business owners -- it's the daily wave of "if I brew the coffee, will they come?" Your customers can make or break you, and as the business naturally ebbs and flows, you have to be willing to ride it out, adapt, or both. Traditional working capital is non-existent for truly small businesses. So you learn to be creative and seek out grants and other opportunities through social media and beyond.

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

1. If you're in the restaurant business, find a great, reliable plumber. I'm serious. They will make or break you.
2. Go to the businesses that inspire you and really look around. See what you like and what you don't like. Ask questions. Hang out and get a feel for the vibe of the place and think about how you'd like to do the same or implement other ideas.
3. And finally, research. Google the heck out of your business. Download sample business plans. Check out if your business URL has already been taken. Form an LLC. Look at menus.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.independentgroundscafe.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/independentgroundscafe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentgroundscafe/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/indiegrndscafe

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.