Latest / Coffee People Podcast / Coffee People: Peter Oyen and Jessica Laufenberg, Rocket Velócafé

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Coffee People: Peter Oyen and Jessica Laufenberg, Rocket Velócafé · Coffee People Podcast

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1:06
Hey, good morning everyone. Welcome back to the Coffee
1:09
People podcast. For a bonus episode of The Pod
1:12
featuring 2 entrepreneurs were in the throes of a true coffee
1:16
shop adventure. I'm Ryan Wult and this is the
1:19
show where I bring you the inspiring and OFT
1:22
entrepreneurial stories of coffee people, in part thanks to
1:26
our presenting sponsor Rostar, the premier coffee packaging and
1:30
printing company. If you're roasting coffee and
1:33
you want to put your beans into a great looking coffee package
1:36
or tin, check out roaster.com. Today's guests hail from N + 1
1:41
Cafe and Rocket bikes which share a building in Verona, WI.
1:46
If you've been listening to the show for the long haul, you
1:48
might remember that I have been there before.
1:51
I went last summer and I wanted to visit again on my annual trip
1:54
home to the Midwest. I was going to ride my bike out
1:57
along one of the many lovely trails at Crisscross Dane
2:00
County. And spend a leisurely morning
2:03
drinking coffee and ogling bicycles.
2:05
But when I typed the address into my phone, I saw that they
2:08
were temporarily closed. I remember thinking, what's
2:12
happening with three exclamation points?
2:15
So I hit up N + 1 social medias, and I saw that they were going
2:19
through a major transition. They had just launched A
2:22
crowdfunding campaign to help them get back on track after the
2:25
impacts of the past three years finally caught up with them.
2:29
I reached out to owners Jessica and Peter to learn more about
2:31
how things have changed for them in the years since I last sat on
2:34
their patio with a cup of coffee from Rusty Dog Roasters in
2:38
nearby Madison, WI. So wherever you are, settle in
2:42
with the coffee from your favorite craft coffee roaster.
2:45
Take a moment to appreciate that it exists and enjoy this Coffee
2:49
People Bonus Podcast featuring Jessica Laufenberg and Peter
2:53
Olan, the team behind the coffee, beer and bicycle shop,
2:57
soon to be relaunched. Hopefully relaunched after a
3:00
successful crowdfunding campaign as Rocket Velo Cafe.
3:11
I really appreciate that you guys are taking some time.
3:14
Any questions before we get started?
3:17
No, thanks for reaching out. Lots happened since, miss.
3:23
Yeah, I was really surprised that I was so excited to ride my
3:26
bike out and and have a cup of coffee.
3:29
But before we get too far, could you just say your names and what
3:34
your role is at the business so the audience can hear your voice
3:36
and associate who is who? Jessica Lafenberg, SO co-owner
3:42
with Peter Rocket Bikes and N + 1 Cafe which were merging and.
3:48
Owner I'm exercise physiologist by mechanic specialist for 30
3:51
years and then became a barista and all that kind of fun stuff
3:58
so. I'm Peter Oyan.
4:00
I'm Jess's business partner, life partner, everything, and I
4:04
am the lead head mechanic sales. I'm I'm a one man show at the
4:10
bike shop, I'm a great bartender, I'm very social and
4:16
I'm the third best barista at our cafe.
4:22
Well, it sounds like you both know your roles.
4:24
You just mentioned that you were the concept was Rocket Bicycles
4:27
and N + 1. You emailed me earlier to say
4:30
that that will hopefully soon become Rocketvello Cafe kind of
4:34
1 entity. You're currently crowdfunding
4:38
some support for your business and I'm going to ask about that.
4:41
But before I do, I want to learn a little bit of context for
4:45
myself and anyone listening. What inspired you to start these
4:49
businesses originally and start them in Verona, WI?
4:54
Well it is all my fault. So I moved back here in 01 after
5:01
grad school and work and then opened up a multi sport coaching
5:06
facility in Verona and was working with athletes of all
5:11
levels and started getting into bike fitting and people weren't
5:15
feeling good on their bikes. I mean he had a nine to fiver
5:19
and he was always a bike nerd and kind of then we started, I
5:23
was always sending people out to different places for bikes and
5:27
getting or getting a bike to know and it would take forever.
5:29
And he's such a bike ner and why don't we just sell the stuff
5:33
here? Why can't why can't we do that
5:34
here. So he started side hustling
5:36
outside of his day job and then in 2009, so I was like why don't
5:41
start SPR on O5 And then O 9 Rock of Bikes opened.
5:45
He started doing it before and after work, you know nine in the
5:48
by 2010 it was like either you do it or you don't.
5:51
And so we he went full time Rocket Bikes.
5:53
So that's how the Rocket Bikes part started.
5:56
So as I was doing the coaching training, he was doing the bike
5:58
shop and then in 2016 I actually sold SPR to Bill and SPR is on
6:03
the other side. If when you write our studio
6:05
last year he's over there. So he took over the whole
6:08
coaching and training and all that.
6:09
So I sold that to him in 2016 and then we just had the bike
6:13
shop. Then to add the cafe portion of
6:16
it happened and we we were looking the building that you
6:19
saw. I started looking at that
6:20
building 2010. We didn't move into that
6:22
building in 12/20/17 twenty. Eight, yeah, we'll backtrack.
6:26
I mean, I started looking at it 2010 and then in 2014 we went in
6:30
to go actually buy it and then one of our, we needed a 50%
6:34
renter in there to bankroll it and it fell through and.
6:38
We stayed where we're at and then yeah.
6:39
And then 2017, the new owners like basically on the same day
6:43
Peter called, they called and they're like, hey, we know you,
6:45
we know you. And we walked in there and took
6:49
the space over and relocated Rocket Bikes in 2018.
6:54
And then the cafe part of it was added and we had a different
6:57
name at the time because we wanted to make, we didn't want
6:59
people to think they had to be a cyclist to come in.
7:03
We really wanted to be very communitybased for anybody, and
7:06
it really has. Done its job.
7:08
I mean it really has fulfilled that what we wanted out of it.
7:13
So yeah, we relocated at the in August of 2018 we reopened the
7:16
bike shop and then late winter of 2019 the cafe opened.
7:22
Perfect timing. I think everyone knows what
7:25
happened right after that. Put your money in and you do
7:27
this whole thing and then open another business and.
7:31
When we did open the cafe, we were looking for like we have
7:34
our beer license, our wine license, you know, so we wanted
7:37
to. We always knew we wanted to have
7:39
a kind of a social vibe, kind of a chill cocktail aspect of it as
7:46
well. And we were ready to go in
7:50
November of 2018. But the city of Verona was, hey,
7:54
let's hold up a beat, let's make sure everything's good.
7:58
That's why we opened in 2019. Well, that was one thing I
8:01
noticed and I wanted to make sure that everyone listening
8:03
kind of knew about your place was that there's the bike area
8:07
and then there's the cafe and it was I had coffee there, but
8:10
there was also other offerings and beer, very local or very
8:13
curated experience. I felt like there was coffee
8:16
from all over the place, but it wasn't just like, hey, we got a
8:19
wholesale brand and we're throwing it up there.
8:21
You were kind of talking up these indie different roasters
8:24
that you were bringing in and different beers, which I
8:26
appreciated, and then kind of a big open space where both sides
8:29
could. Could congregate and where
8:31
groups could be, which I really appreciated this year.
8:34
When I came back I thought, I'm going to ride out there and
8:36
enjoy a cup of coffee and I went on your website to check the
8:38
hours and you were not open temporarily when you did open in
8:45
2019, the whole enchilada, let's say.
8:49
I'm assuming there's a lot of excitement the coronavirus hits.
8:53
How did that impact you right away?
8:55
You were still kind of in the beginning of figuring out how it
8:58
was all going to work in real life.
9:01
Well, it didn't. A week before the pandemic
9:05
started, my father passed. And literally to hear that,
9:09
Yeah, so that that was kind of like the kickoff.
9:12
And a week later we were told we couldn't be open.
9:17
So like we got put into our apartment, my dad died, two
9:20
businesses that we just like told, we took our like that was
9:23
our investment was building and the businesses.
9:26
And so going into the pandemic we had hardly anything because
9:30
we had just flipped that into the bike shop and the cafe and
9:33
the relocation and all that stuff.
9:36
So it's just a big, big scramble of we have, we have no real, you
9:41
know, as a restaurant we have no history.
9:43
We have like 10 months of history, but.
9:47
January and February 2020, we had already doubled every month
9:52
was doubling the year before already I mean so we were like
9:55
not even a year in and everything was just doubling and
9:57
we were doing us in the event things never was really an idea
10:00
for us. But people are starting to ask
10:02
like like you said a big open space community how can people
10:05
do things. So that kind of started to jump
10:08
really awesome and. We had that whole year schedule
10:12
with bike rides, food, trucks, events, all the stuff, so that
10:15
all got shut down. So we walk into it with like
10:17
very, very little savings and then we can't be open.
10:21
Bike shop was able to be open because it was consumed
10:25
essential. That was good.
10:27
I mean, we were definitely hustling, bustling.
10:30
I think on a personal note, I think with the government
10:35
shutting us down, it gave us time to heal with her dad
10:38
passing. So it was.
10:41
Timing, you know, it's like well, we don't need to cover it
10:45
up by going to work. We were able to talk and talk
10:48
with family and like and console and you know, and then slowly I
10:53
started just going back to the shop solo and and it was very
10:58
steady until, well, the entire year.
11:01
We were able to do outdoor seating stuff very separate like
11:05
we had to spread everything apart I think early summer.
11:09
And it was a lot of to go stuff. Not a lot of people were going
11:12
out. Then we did get a couple food
11:15
trucks at the end of the year because we have all the green
11:18
space and the open garage doors. So we were actually getting a
11:21
good try to people because we were a safe place to go because
11:25
a lot of other places and coffee shops were all super tiny or on
11:28
a main drag and there's really nowhere to go.
11:29
So a lot of people did feel comfortable and safe to come by
11:32
us. And then the winner wasn't even
11:35
any better. We, I don't even think we.
11:38
I think early spring of 2021 we can go to 25% indoor capacity
11:42
and slowly built up to 50. And when the thing was the
11:46
summer of 2021, we could go to full capacity.
11:51
It was all over the board. But a lot of people didn't want
11:53
to go out. You know they barely came in
11:57
spending an entire year of no income and still having the same
12:01
outputs, just kept digging us in a hole and then.
12:05
On the bike shop, part of it is the whole supply chain.
12:08
So I mean we had like a local truck store calling us at the
12:12
end of 2020. Do you have tubes?
12:14
Like we have tubes, we don't have tubes, You don't have
12:18
tubes, we don't have tubes. Like you know, I mean it was
12:21
becoming that. And so then you start having all
12:23
these supply chain issues and every headline you can think of
12:27
it existed for us and couldn't get things and delays like the
12:31
ship in that got turned in the canal like we had a bike on
12:34
that, you know like. It everything's just stuck and
12:36
all this stuff. And then people, you know
12:39
weren't happy and took it out on us when their bike wasn't
12:42
showing up. And so then now we had to dig in
12:44
our pockets and refund money. So now we're even out more money
12:47
and or then, well, if you don't put your order in now it's ten
12:51
months out. But if you don't put it in, you
12:53
won't have anything for next year to sell.
12:55
So the bank's like, all right, well we'll help you out so you
12:57
can make sure you have stuff to sell, but then a year later, no
12:59
one's buying. So this it just kind of like put
13:02
this huge so the but the bike shop barely not making any sales
13:07
and then the cafe just all over the place.
13:11
We were literally just like penny by penny by penny and just
13:14
the debt you know I mean we went in with like this much debt and
13:18
now we have like this much and it's.
13:21
I don't mean to laugh, but I know that like people listening,
13:23
like imagine, like the fingers are close together and they're
13:26
getting further and further apart.
13:27
Yes. And further and further, yeah.
13:30
I don't, I don't want to take it too far away from this.
13:33
I I know. I think the thing with the the
13:35
pandemic was is the unknow, the unknowingness of what tomorrow
13:39
will bring and when things will come back.
13:41
And in the beginning we thought, oh, it'll be a couple weeks and
13:44
you know, then it'll be a month and then it'll be a year.
13:46
And now it's been 3 plus years. We're moving forward as if it's
13:51
over, but there's still impacts that are continuing.
13:54
I want to kind of sidestep a little bit and just ask.
13:57
What role does a cafe in a small business like a bike shop hold
14:01
in a community like Verona, which is a suburb of Madison, a
14:04
bigger city? What was a very small tight knit
14:07
community that has been exploded by the entrepreneurship of the
14:12
epic business, which I can? Well I mean the whole cafe part
14:15
of it really did start cuz the old location.
14:18
So many people started bike rides from our place.
14:21
I'd have a pot of coffee going on in the morning, everyone do
14:24
other group rides and we'd help coordinate stuff and then
14:27
someone would run up to the grocery store and go get a six
14:29
pack and have beer after. So it's like okay with this
14:31
relocation. It's always coffee and beer are
14:34
bookending on bikes and so that part to keep them there and it
14:41
just seemed to fit and it's definitely a big thing, East
14:44
Coast, West Coast, very new Midwest.
14:47
Is to try to put all that sociality and keep that going
14:50
for people in a different way and we just want to keep it very
14:53
simple and different and different.
14:55
We never didn't want to carry and do what everyone else in the
14:57
area does either. That's why we have different
14:59
coffee brands, different local foods, things like that and not
15:02
like, yeah, bakery and things like that.
15:05
So it's a different and we want people to be to experience it
15:08
and Peter came up with the whole thing is we have a relationship.
15:11
We create a relationship with you through bikes, coffee and
15:15
beer. Like we want to have
15:17
relationships created that way. So that's that's how the cafe
15:22
plugin kind of cultivated up out of the bike shop.
15:25
And we just, like I said earlier, we don't want to want
15:28
to make sure that people didn't feel like they had to be a biker
15:31
to come in, could just be for anybody.
15:33
And then that's happened and it just seems to work.
15:36
I don't know and we wanted to make sure the atmosphere that
15:39
they came into fit that too, that they everyone just felt
15:41
comfortable. Very simple, very clean, you
15:44
know, white. Walls, Natural wood, steel.
15:48
Light. Tons of light.
15:49
We used the buildings 80 years old, so we really wanted to keep
15:54
that oldness to it, I guess with some modernness.
15:58
Sure. That character I.
16:00
Don't know if that answers. Well, I think everything
16:03
answers. I mean, I come from a restaurant
16:06
background. People that listen to the show
16:08
know that and I. At the time, as a young person
16:12
learning the business, I didn't necessarily think as highly of
16:14
it as I do now. But I think with some experience
16:19
in life and being able to look back, realizing that the cafe is
16:23
where people go When they're happy, it's where they go.
16:25
When they're sad, it's when they're excited, It's when they
16:29
want to meet, you know, a friend that's new or a friend that's
16:31
old, you become a hub for all of the things around you.
16:35
And it wasn't intentional, but. Hub is a bike term, so I'm just
16:39
gonna call that a good. Transition pun Yeah, We've
16:42
always said we're the nucleus for everything, so hub is
16:45
perfect. There you go.
16:46
Yeah, I wish it was a we're gonna use it.
16:48
I wish it was a camera sometimes, like like I'm just
16:51
visualizing of all these people coming in separate occasions.
16:56
Of course, like, you know, these girls haven't seen each other in
16:59
two years and they they meet it right in front of me when I'm
17:03
taking their order. And there there's big hugs and
17:05
there's. Crying and it's like that was
17:08
neat. That was like guys, they haven't
17:11
seen each other in years or they're trapped like we're right
17:14
off the highway. So, I mean, you literally exit
17:16
and in two minutes you're right in a parking lot.
17:19
So it's easy to get from Madison to Iowa on that main, you know,
17:24
that main highway that was always not.
17:26
And I was like, yes, that's what we wanted.
17:29
And even locals bringing their kids down and reminiscing and
17:33
hanging out like just said that. You know, not to beat a dead
17:36
horse, but it was like, yeah, there's subtle things that's
17:40
like it's a bike shop, but it's not, it's not a big box shop
17:44
where there is hundreds of bikes on the floor.
17:46
It's very curated in. A studio.
17:50
Yeah, so it's simple from this bike brand to this bike brand,
17:55
this price point, that price point, it's it's it's no big
17:59
deal. Everything's intentional.
18:01
I mean with the bike shop in the beginning and even the coffee,
18:03
like you said earlier about making sure we expose.
18:06
Good coffee and why and good brands and very traditional and
18:11
and retrospect to everything and curate all that together just
18:15
matches. Well, we mentioned at the top
18:18
that you are currently running a crowdfunding campaign to help
18:21
deal with some of that debt that you've accumulated over the last
18:25
several years of trying to keep the business afloat long enough
18:28
to get past this time period. I just checked it a few minutes
18:33
ago. You've raised just a hair under
18:34
$40,000 from 277 small donations.
18:39
It's a lot of individuals that have reached out to do that.
18:43
I'm wondering one what did made you decide you were ready to do
18:48
a crowdfunding? You know, what was that emotion
18:50
like and how do you think it's going?
18:56
I get to, I get to answer that one.
18:58
So the I mean. When it came to the end of 2022,
19:02
I mean it, we sat down with our advisor and our bank advisor and
19:06
he's like, you're out of money. Like we didn't have money to buy
19:09
coffee and milk next week because we just tapped out to
19:11
pay employees and all that and try to keep it going.
19:14
He's like, so we have to, we have to stop.
19:17
We have to pause and see what's going on.
19:21
And I had physically gotten so depressed and tired, I collapsed
19:26
in bed in August. I didn't get out of bed for
19:29
almost 2 weeks. It was it was just complete
19:31
because we couldn't afford employees.
19:33
It's just me and Peter so we couldn't afford anything so
19:35
we're doing all the work and then he we're like we just have
19:38
to stop to making mistakes and just we were just like a tilt to
19:42
roll constantly one spinning here that way.
19:44
And so we decided just to pause in January and we did come to
19:49
the conclusion that we did offer that we wanted to see if someone
19:51
would buy the cafe portion of it as me wanted to kind of like
19:55
step back and take different roles and stuff.
19:58
And we were on that path. We spent three months putting
20:02
the sale together and it fell through the end of May then to
20:08
kind of circle back to the crowd for anything when that
20:10
everything, you know, we're looking for alleviating the
20:13
debt. But we need working capital if
20:14
you want to get back working out kind of like a Kickstarter like
20:16
no one everyone else did it during the pandemic they were
20:18
looking for to help alleviate debt, keep money in the door,
20:21
keep working capital. So that's kind of our collective
20:23
goals just happening now. And we probably had over 50
20:26
people tell us this since January, but we weren't ready
20:30
and we just. We didn't think it was right for
20:32
us. Like I think we were focused on
20:34
the the, you know, 50% of the sale of the cafe and that that's
20:38
where our mindset was. And then when that all went
20:41
down, we're talking, you get the news on a Tuesday, I'm freaking
20:45
out calling my friend in Phoenix who's a business owner on
20:48
Wednesday. We have a meeting on Thursday
20:51
and the first thing out of his mouth was you should do a
20:54
crowdfunding. And so Jess and I kind of put
20:56
our heads down and we were like, do you know how many people have
20:59
told us to do that? But we didn't feel we needed it
21:03
or should do it? And he was like, you guys should
21:05
definitely do it. And honestly, it it it felt
21:10
right. Like Jess and I, of course we we
21:12
communicate all the time. And I go, how do you feel?
21:15
And she's like, for some reason it doesn't feel bad.
21:20
It feels okay. I think it's the time.
21:24
So, yeah, so many people in those few months were like, what
21:27
can we do? How can we help?
21:28
They're giving us ideas. How can we help?
21:29
How can we help? How can we help?
21:31
And it's like, you know, and then we even brushed it past,
21:34
like the big business owners that we know, they're our
21:38
friends to just, I would say, like the average customer and
21:40
just toss it at them. They're like, yeah, why not?
21:42
That'd be great. We want to help.
21:44
We don't know how to help. And so that's where we put it
21:47
together and our friends help us craft that original message.
21:50
And it's a big ask and we knew that in the beginning but it
21:54
opened up the floodgates to some more ideas and how to like it
21:57
wasn't going to be an A = X dollar amount.
22:01
It has definitely become an A + B + C + D equals this.
22:06
It's slowing down on just like the click and donate which is
22:09
you know some people it's just easy for them to do that be
22:12
sharing it as much as possible. We have gotten, you know, your
22:15
coverage now. The local TV picked it up we we
22:17
were the headlining news on channel.
22:20
At the 10:00 PM news, which was very weird about it but well, so
22:23
they're trying to cover like the post pandemic.
22:25
It's like a hurricane like there's this aftermath that no
22:28
one's talking about and sharing that message.
22:31
We've been in the paper a couple times so sharing all that
22:34
message we're doing a let's get together fundraiser next
22:38
Thursday on the 27th and and even like when we first put that
22:42
crowd funding out, they said hey, I donated.
22:44
However, I have a place up in Door County.
22:47
If you do fundraiser, I'd love to donate a weekend up there for
22:50
you. So all these people are coming
22:52
at us with all these things like, look like OK, so this
22:54
could be an idea And then our friend Steve and Sarah are
22:57
basically running it for us. They're leading it.
23:00
He's going to emcee it and auction it.
23:01
And I mean if you go on the the donation page, I mean we have
23:06
everything from Bruce Springsteen tickets to like I
23:09
can't even think of everything great.
23:11
Yes, food and experiences and like.
23:16
The VIP lounge for the Cubs game at the Maker's Mark And like all
23:21
these great things to small little things like I'll make
23:23
your birthday cake and cupcakes, It's $100 value.
23:25
So kind of like it scratches every itch financially and
23:28
motivationally what you're looking for.
23:31
So that's come about. And then another client of ours
23:34
said, you know, I want to help, like, can I buy you a coffee for
23:37
a month? Like, OK And he said it a couple
23:40
times. So we work now.
23:41
We're going to come out with sponsor of the week, so for
23:44
$500. You could sponsor the week and
23:46
you and that's kind of covering some basic operating cost.
23:50
But then you can use us and our platform and our bike cafe to do
23:55
whatever you want. If you want to wrap the tables
23:57
in your logo, that's fine, you know.
24:00
So we have a couple people who've already we haven't even
24:02
publicized it yet, but a couple people have said they want to do
24:04
it and then they can guess bartend if they want and
24:07
barista. But then if you want to guess
24:08
barista, you're going to tell all your friends, your guest
24:11
bursting, which is going to expose us and maybe.
24:15
You, whatever business you have, you're getting your business
24:18
exposed to everybody else. Or maybe you just want your name
24:20
and lights and that's all you want because you want to help.
24:23
So that we're always about community and like, how can we?
24:26
I know we're looking for help and we really need it, but how
24:29
can we also help you back a little bit too?
24:31
And you know, even with the fundraiser next week, a woman
24:33
is, she does bake, she's doing bakery out of her house and
24:36
she's like, I'm going to come and give samples.
24:39
As well, I'm donating like this package.
24:41
Let me give samples because it'll get me business.
24:42
I'm like, I don't care, do what you want because you're that's
24:45
how we want to keep doing it. And then also we're sending
24:48
letters to big businesses and stuff and looking for grants.
24:53
We have a really nice we've got all the articles put together.
24:56
We've got a really nice letter that we're just literally like
24:58
handwriting letters and just like asking for money to try to
25:02
keep. We've got the oldest building in
25:04
Verona we refurbished. We have all this going on and
25:07
the timing was just the most horrible, and it's no one's
25:10
fault, but how can we just get a little bit of everybody to put
25:14
that together? So that's how crowdfunding has
25:17
turned into all of that. So chaos, which is?
25:23
Yes, chaos. It feels a little, yeah, it's
25:24
definitely chaos. It is what it is.
25:27
I don't know any different. It's always been chaos, so.
25:31
I feel like that's a small entrepreneurship mindset and big
25:34
do not. I don't mean to imply small,
25:36
but. No, no, you're good.
25:38
So there's a lot going on. There's a lot of ways people can
25:41
support. I'm going to make sure that if
25:42
you're listening, check the links in the show notes.
25:45
You'll see that stuff and find your way there.
25:49
What happens if you don't reach your goal?
25:51
Your goal is $150,000. I'm trying to figure out this
25:56
part. When you actually look at the
25:57
donation page, you know it's we're not there.
26:00
But we have other things coming in that are getting us there and
26:02
that's where we're trying to communicate because like if
26:04
someone writes us a check for $1000, I I don't, I can't show
26:09
it on that page specifically. So there's all these different
26:12
ways that are totaling it. So we are confident that we are
26:14
getting there and based on. So our plan right now is that
26:19
we're going to open the first week of August.
26:22
So reopen as Rocket Fellow Cafe. Why?
26:25
Why change it? Why combine it into one thing
26:28
instead of the two businesses? I think when we first moved down
26:32
in 2018, we have a good friend. He's a vice president of
26:35
marketing for a large firm in Madison and he suggested that
26:40
probably three years ago. And I guess to be selfish, I
26:46
really like N + 1 Cafe. I just love the name I.
26:52
It was us, another place in Australia and I think a place in
26:56
Florida. That had N + 1 and I pitched it
27:02
to Jess. She loved it and so that's why.
27:05
But our friend saw the opportunity to put it all under
27:10
one umbrella like create something.
27:13
It's it's A1 space and there are a few of these type of
27:17
establishments. There's a there's a couple in
27:20
Texas, Arkansas and. It's it's an all in one, like
27:26
it's a cafe and a bike shop. And I think when we were
27:30
starting to do the crowdfunding, we started asking.
27:34
He's part of our, we call it our, our Advisory Board.
27:39
We have a couple other individuals, they're retired,
27:42
they're just want to help us grow.
27:47
So they kind of took, took, took the lead on that.
27:50
I'm going. Let's relaunch with a new name,
27:53
a new logo, you know, different website, everything inside is
27:57
the same. It's the same staff, it's the
27:59
same me, it's the same vibe, but he's like, let's relaunch it to
28:06
get more exposure. Bring back your your regulars
28:10
where they're going to see, well, that's different.
28:12
Well, that looks cool. I didn't notice that.
28:14
But on top of bringing even more people to the space.
28:19
And on the marketing side of it with his brain, he's like it's
28:21
going to be one path, one message instead of trying to
28:24
like manage both. And we did go into like I said
28:26
earlier to make sure it was together but separate.
28:30
But now it's like 1 Path and we have battled like it's confusing
28:33
for people and we get that, you know, but we're on the inside
28:36
looking out and now they're on the outside looking in.
28:39
There are our, our advisory team who's been our customers for
28:42
1012 years. So it's not like they're brand
28:44
new people. We scooped off off the street
28:46
and. We didn't wake up one morning,
28:48
go, hey, what's crowdfund? This was like, very, very, very
28:52
hardcore Disgust. But putting it into one package
28:55
and one messaging, one for all. It's still bikes, beer, coffee
29:00
and more. It's a social space.
29:03
And just make it under one hub to help clean up the message to
29:07
everybody out there. Rockets, his nickname, actually.
29:10
So that's where Rocket comes from.
29:11
But you know, as a marketing side, Rocket is strong.
29:14
You can say, hey, we're going to go to Rocket.
29:17
Still keeps that theme in there and Bello Cafe, so it's a little
29:20
panache and got a little cachet to it and it's still a bike cafe
29:24
and still and it is. And we're telling you what it is
29:26
now versus like what's this and what's that?
29:29
And like the N + 1 up on the wall, we got the definition.
29:32
Like those little things are all going to stay.
29:33
It's just putting more of that marketing platform and path
29:38
together. We're listening now.
29:39
Instead of taking the lead and like this is our business, we'll
29:42
do that. We're like, all right, tell us
29:45
what to do. Yeah, and yeah, before I get too
29:51
far away from it and come to the end of this little conversation,
29:55
a lot of other people listening aren't gonna know what n + 1
29:57
means. What does that mean?
30:01
N + 1 is the number of bikes you have, and typically it's three
30:07
and you always want one more. And actually the Greg Lamond
30:10
book, there's a book, it's like, I don't know, like 101.
30:14
Rules of cycling and I think number rule #11 is N + 1.
30:17
You always want one more and it also kind of fit with the beer
30:20
and the coffee and stuff was like, why was one another beer?
30:22
I always want something else. I always want a little bit more
30:24
so that all definition works. So I know it'll still be
30:31
cosplayed and stuff like that in in our marketing and stuff like
30:34
that, but we're just making it very simple on the outside for
30:38
one word, yeah. I know I always want one more as
30:41
well. Yeah, you're always shopping for
30:43
another. Yeah, I went to three coffee
30:46
shops today, so and I at one point owned way more than three
30:52
bikes, but I've since paired back.
30:53
I only own 2 now. So you fit us very well.
30:57
I have found my path to less bikes by buying more expensive
31:02
bikes. That is like, there's different
31:07
meanings, right? Definition one.
31:09
And then definition. How did we get less than?
31:11
How to get n, -, 1 by more expensive?
31:15
Yeah, the budget has stayed the same, but the number of bikes I
31:18
can fit in that little window is smaller.
31:21
Yeah. Is there anything we didn't
31:23
cover about this crowdfunding campaign about the future Rocket
31:26
Fellow cafe that you really want people to know?
31:29
No, I think we covered everything and.
31:34
You know, and we've had a couple people message us of you know,
31:38
like give up and all that kind of stuff and which is you know
31:41
we're going to get a couple of those.
31:42
But we just always want, we want people to know like we do have
31:45
like behind us there's this huge team of people behind us and we
31:49
have a team like these people that were all going to be in
31:51
this ownership team. They're not owners right now,
31:54
but they're all helping us do all of this work.
31:57
They wanted to help. If they didn't believe in it,
31:59
yeah, that's what I think we keep reminding ourselves and
32:02
like. We could have walked.
32:03
They could have stepped back in months ago, like when we had the
32:07
one business partner back off. He's still on our board.
32:13
There's just reason he's. Just not finance.
32:15
He doesn't have money in the game, but he wants to keep.
32:17
He. He.
32:18
Brings his wife in like they see it and they feel it and there is
32:23
an energy, but I think that's what we created and.
32:28
Just to know that the public knows that have the confidence
32:31
that we're not we're we have a plan, we're trying to
32:36
communicate that pretty hard that this is not taken very
32:38
lightly or I mean it's hours of discussion and talking and
32:42
planning and how to do it and who's got what role and things
32:46
like that. So whoever's listening, if you
32:50
want to share it, you want to click and donate.
32:52
It's easy if you're in the area and you want to come.
32:54
To the fundraiser, even if you're not an auction fundraiser
32:57
person come have a beer because that that's how you can help.
33:00
You know, just buying a $5 beer helps not.
33:02
It's not like you have to write these, you know, checks with
33:05
zeros on it. Some people can, some people
33:07
can't. You know what?
33:07
Some people can only share it. So just the more you can share
33:10
the effort on that is just going to help.
33:13
But we do have the confidence. We've got people behind us that
33:16
are very important people out there that are with us.
33:22
This is a coffee show, although it skews very entrepreneurial.
33:27
So I have to ask you, when you go to another coffee shop and
33:31
you need to order something, what are you going to order?
33:33
Yeah. I'm usually.
33:37
I'm always a traditional macchiato and I'll leave it at
33:43
that. I love traditional, love
33:47
traditional macchiatos. I like a nice cortado.
33:53
Yeah, I'm, I'm a cortado or cappuccino sometimes breve, but
33:58
depending I'll look if someone they do pour overs, I'm a big
34:02
pour over girl. I always like to try pour overs
34:05
and I like more of like the fruity side, the lighter side,
34:08
see if they can bring all those notes out and that's one big
34:11
thing too. We try to teach people that
34:13
light darker isn't always better you know, like getting people to
34:16
have an open palette with things and stuff, so.
34:18
Well, we educate a lot like they think Dark Roast is.
34:22
More caffeine When the lighter roast does.
34:24
They think espresso has more caffeine than a drip like it is.
34:28
A lot of educating which we like.
34:32
I think you've especially with our cold brew, we're like, well,
34:35
where's the sugar and the cream? And we're like, Oh no, you got
34:38
to first try it and if you take one or two sips.
34:43
And then if you want cream, I'll definitely give it to you.
34:45
And it's been awesome seeing some people just like their eyes
34:49
bright up and they're like, Oh my God, they're like, right.
34:53
They're like I never knew. It's like because they're in
34:56
their their rhythm get get it, put sugar, coffee and it move
35:00
on. And then we're trying to slow
35:03
like our vibe is slow. Hey take your time take your
35:07
it's chill like no one's rushing here but you and no one here is.
35:11
Says the guy, nicknamed Rocket. Right.
35:13
I know. Yeah.
35:14
So he's a quad macchiato. I'm a curtado.
35:18
What are you getting? Black batch brew drip every
35:22
time. Yeah.
35:22
And I do that because one, I drink a lot of coffee and it's a
35:27
great way for me to kind of see how much they care about the
35:32
lowest thing on the menu. And if I think a coffee shop has
35:36
dialed that in and is clearly taking some care with it.
35:40
Then I go, OK, I'm gonna get something else.
35:42
I might get an espresso or a pour over or a This afternoon I
35:46
was at a place and I ordered a cappuccino because I'd been
35:48
there before and I was like, I just want something a little
35:52
sweet today. Yeah, I'm gonna go with that.
35:55
Yeah. But yeah, always.
35:56
I always start with that. And I just kind of have learned
35:59
it's the same when I go to restaurants.
36:00
And I if I always judge a restaurant based on the quality
36:03
of their toilet paper. Yeah, because yes, that's how
36:07
much. Yes.
36:08
You know how much they care about their employees, the
36:10
people that actually work there. You're in the business like I've
36:14
I've, I've had conversation with good friends and even you know
36:18
our very small staff. But I'm like that bathroom has
36:23
to look meticulous. I go the the glass is clean like
36:28
it it and I get compliments and I I I sound like a little.
36:34
Giddy schoolgirl. But I'm like, when people are
36:36
like, that's the cleanest bathroom.
36:37
I'm like, yes, of course, yeah. And thank you for sharing that
36:41
because you know, that is, that's huge for like if that's
36:46
clean, you know, our coffee is legit.
36:49
You know, our space is legit. You know it.
36:52
It's just subconscious. I think about it as if the areas
36:57
that I can see as a customer are clean.
37:00
I am more confident that the areas that I can't are also
37:02
clean, yes, and the vice versa of that is true love.
37:05
It. Well, Peter and Jessica, I just,
37:08
I really appreciate your time. I wish you the best of luck on
37:11
this goal that you are confident you're gonna reach and I am now
37:14
confident as well. I haven't talked to you, but we
37:17
will share that is again on the podcast notes on
37:20
roastwestcoast.com for anyone. Good luck and thank you for
37:24
taking the time. Hey, thank you.
37:26
It's great to see you and chat. Okay To recap, the business is
37:36
all Jessica's fault. It started at a chaotic time,
37:39
unintentionally, The first year of any new business is always
37:43
stressful. All the planning and the ideas
37:45
are playing out in real time. Peter and Jessica, we're also
37:49
managing through some grief and then we're confronted by the
37:51
coronavirus pandemic, which if you're out there thinking but
37:56
that's over, no, we've all gone through a life altering shift in
38:01
the history of the world and we deserve a pat on the back, or
38:03
rather a hug or 10 for that. The daily fear may be gone for
38:08
most, but the impacts are still being felt.
38:11
Especially by many, many small businesses.
38:15
Three years of shutdowns, alternating COVID safety rules,
38:18
supply chain issues, and changes in consumer behavior are things
38:22
that are neither navigated easily nor quickly.
38:25
Which brings us to this moment in time for Peter and Jessica
38:28
and their businesses, facing an uncertain future, worn down
38:32
physically, mentally and financially, all options were on
38:36
the table, including selling the business.
38:40
The timing wasn't right for that.
38:41
But it was for a crowdfunding campaign.
38:44
The community has been wanting to support Peter and Jessica.
38:47
They just needed to give them the opportunity to do so.
38:51
Finally, N + 1 refers to the number of bikes a person owns
38:56
and the number that they want or may believe they need.
39:00
N + 1. It applies to coffee too.
39:03
And that fun ethos won't go away with the combination of the
39:06
businesses in the Rocket Fellow Cafe.
39:10
Rather, the company as a whole and Peter and Jessica will get a
39:13
new life, and I'll get another chance to drink a coffee and
39:16
I'll go bikes when I'm visiting the family back home.
39:19
If you want to support the Rocket Fellow Cafe crowdfunding
39:22
campaign effort or learn more about the upcoming fundraising
39:26
events, including the details on the silent auction, go to
39:30
rocketfellowcafe.com or follow N + 1 Cafe on Instagram for
39:34
updates. They'll be changing that to at
39:37
Rocketfellow Cafe soon. But for now, that one is still
39:39
good. You'll find those links in this
39:42
podcast, show notes and of course on roastwestcoast.com.
39:48
Thank you to everyone for listening to this show.
39:50
Thank you for supporting it and for supporting small businesses.
39:54
I appreciate you and I'm sure they do too.
39:57
Speaking of support, this podcast industry partners
40:00
include our presenting sponsor Roast, our coffee packaging,
40:04
Coffee Cycle Roasting, Ignite Coffee Company.
40:07
Maria Coffee, Cape Horn Coffee Importers, Zumbar Coffee and
40:12
Tea, Ascend Coffee Roasters, Moisture Coffee Company, Steady
40:16
State Coffee Roasting, San Franciscan Roaster Company,
40:20
Crossings Coffee, Acento Coffee Roasters, Camp Coffee Company,
40:25
Civets Coffee Roasters, Hasea Coffee Source and First Light
40:28
Whiskey. I'm going to drink one of those
40:30
whiskeys in my hotel room right now.
40:32
I'm in Henderson, NV and it is 118 degrees outside.
40:37
Which is literally insane. I will still get a hot cup of
40:42
coffee in the morning though. You can find all of the links to
40:45
those brands and more on the front page of
40:47
roastwestcoast.com. This Coffee People podcast in
40:52
this episode in particular is part of the Roast West Coast
40:56
Coffee Network and it is was has been written, produced, and
40:59
recorded by me, Brian Walt. I hope this episode has found
41:03
you happy, healthy, and with at least a threat of sanity left,
41:07
enabling you to make it through the day.
41:10
Always tip your baristas and be sure to drink good coffee.