Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tanya Bond, Co-Owner of San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company, located in Atlanta, GA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Our business is San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company! We are a locally-owned coffee house in Atlanta, Georgia! Like our customers, we are unpretentious, inviting, and warm, and we are a community. We present a homey vibe that is welcoming to all kinds of coffee drinkers. We also roast all of our own coffee at our Virginia-Highland location, and all of our food and batters are made in-house, except our cakes and bagels- which we get from local businesses Southern Sweets and Emerald City Bagels, respectively.
Tell us about yourself
When we opened San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company in Atlanta, most of our customers had never even heard of a latte, let alone seen someone roasting coffee beans on-site. It was 1992, and the coffee craze that had begun in Seattle and San Francisco hadn't made its way this far across the country in Atlanta. We were looking for a good cup of coffee in the city and couldn't find one! The idea grew that we should open a coffee roasting house in Atlanta similar to the community gathering spots on the West Coast.
So, we leased a former Ben & Jerry's in Vinings, painted over the cow on the wall and hung a large stained glass window depicting a coffee plant, and began roasting coffee in 1992, creating a space reminiscent of our Bay area experiences, complete with daily roasted coffee, bikes, and dogs out front, and friends and neighbors gathered to chat, laugh and enjoy coffee together.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Our locations in the Virginia-Highland and Candler Park neighborhoods have become neighborhood touchstones over the years. The fact that we have created that amazing sense of community is so rewarding. Community support and events have long been an essential part of our business.
To celebrate the book launch of "Images of America: Virginia-Highland," for example, we opened the coffeehouse to welcome leaders of the civic association, descendants of some of the original settlers, and dozens of neighbors. We were honored to be the place where people came to learn more about this community's origins.
Our shop also offers a training program for area high school students, providing teenagers with a crucial first work experience. And we host numerous events and donate to local elementary and middle schools, serving innumerable cups of coffee and delighting teachers and parents in the process. People from Atlanta have a deep love for this place.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Covid was a particularly difficult challenge, as I'm sure it was for everyone. But one of the more consistent issues that we face is ensuring we are staying true to ourselves while also making sure we continue to move with the times and are aware of the latest coffee trends. We do not, and I do not recommend jumping on a trend in your industry just to be a part of the latest craze. It is very important to stay true to the brand.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be ready to fail, but also be ready to learn from those mistakes.
- Listen to your gut, but also don't be stubborn, and be sure to take into account feedback from your community and your team.
- Make sure it is something you love because if you are starting a business - the beginning is going to be long hours, sometimes sleeping at your location, being the front and back of hours person as well as the owner! So if your heart isn't in it, it will wear you down.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.sanfranciscocoffeeroastingco.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanFranCoffeeRostingCompany
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanfrancoffee/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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