What sets Beginner’s Luck Coffee apart from other coffee shops?

William Irby: “From the second someone steps through the front door, our shop is an experience. Nothing at Beginner’s Luck Coffee is happening by accident. Our menu has been curated for maximum efficiency. Our beans are supplied by Sunergos Coffee, a company whose name means ‘co-laboring,’ or building through community. The music we play fits the design of the cafe and the mood of the day. We do not accept credit card tips because we are truly a ‘mom-and-pop shop.’ We don’t have employees to pay, so we enjoy passing that lack of payroll expense on to our customers in the form of a pressure-free transaction. We do things our way and never follow trends.”
 

Why did you start the business?

William Irby: “We didn’t really have an option. A friend reached out to let us know that a ‘coffee camper’ was on the market, and after that, the whole thing sort of took on a life of its own. We did little more than say ‘yes’ to opportunities as they were presented to us.”
 

Why did you want to open a brick-and-mortar location? How were you able to graduate from the camper?

William Irby: “Our model has always been that of a ‘neighborhood coffee house.’ We couldn’t possibly be more grateful for the camper, but it was never intended to be more than a stepping stone.”
 

What past experience have you had with starting/working in business?

William Irby: “From restaurants to supplement companies to DNA production labs, I’ve worked, almost exclusively, for startups or very small companies since college, which was nearly 20 years ago at this point.”
 

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in getting Beginner’s Luck up and running?

William Irby: “We were definitely given a dose of beginner’s luck at the onset, but since then we’ve learned a little bit about a lot – electrical work, plumbing, towing, small engine repair, freezing water pumps, bureaucracy and government agencies, accounting, etc. – and we’ve done it all while simultaneously homeschooling our daughter and welcoming our son to Planet Earth.”
 

Why do you think there’s so much demand for new coffee places?

William Irby: “Coffee isn’t just a consumable. People are no longer just demanding coffee. They’re demanding a full-stack experience. A cup of coffee in the morning, for many people, is a way of anchoring their day in consistency and familiarity.”
 

What else do you want people to know about your business?

William Irby: “We’re here to add value to the community. We want our shop to be a vessel that facilitates friendly meetups, study sessions, escapes from existential noise or whatever way people may want to enjoy their day.”