Sweet Barrel Creamery and Coffee Roasters - Michael Wong

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Michael Wong, founder of Sweet Barrel Creamery and Coffee Roasters, located in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

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

At Sweet Barrel, we produce our own ice cream and roast our own coffee. The name contains the two keywords because both ice cream and coffee have everything to do with sweetness. As for ice cream churning and coffee roasting, both processes involve machines that consist of a horizontal drum. Therefore we picked Barrel as part of our name.

Tell us about yourself

Before Sweet Barrel, I found, operated, and later on sold my first coffee shop after 12 years of blood and sweat. Learned a lot and had to move on due to circumstances beyond my control. After that, I wielded for my mentor, who taught me coffee roasting. Therefore, with the added knowledge and expertise from my ex-business partner who brought in his ice cream chef, we opened Sweet Barrel. We’ve always felt that gourmet ice cream and freshly roasted coffee can go hand in hand.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The biggest accomplishment is, unfortunately, not financially related. It’s the loyalty and respect of the customers we have won over in the past six years.

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

The hardest thing businesses in Vancouver we all deal with is the low population, which transpired into a thin customer base. Unlike Eastern Canada cities like metro Toronto, Vancouver just doesn't have the customer base to support the highly competitive business environment.

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

Location is very important.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.sweetbarrelcreamery.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweet.barrel/

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.

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