Today we’d like to introduce you to Sweden Allsop.
Hi Sweden, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Before I started Sunroom Coffee, I was working as a leasing agent at an apartment complex. It was probably the most miserable job I had ever had in my life. My coworkers were extremely difficult to be around, the atmosphere was depressing, & I was basically just sitting around all day listening to my coworkers be negative all day. Waking up every morning and knowing that that is what I have to look forward to every day sent me into the worst depression. I would cry in my closet every morning just dreading going to work.
I knew I had to do something about it so every paycheck I got, I would put into savings. I wasn’t spending any money, I was just going to build up a nest egg so that if and when the time came when I couldn’t possibly take my job anymore, I would have the option to quit and have time to actually get a job that I like & not just settle for the first one I get because I needed to pay my bills. I had no intention of starting a business. So the time came when I finally had to quit my job – irresponsible negligence & sexual harassment. The first thing I thought when I quit my job was to pursue photography/videography. I had always wanted to have a job where I was behind a camera the whole time but I never got around to actually doing something with my talents. So I was out taking pictures and collecting footage every day to have content to post. Needless to say, it just wasn’t working out in my favor. I didn’t have the confidence or equipment to really do something with it. I was living my day-to-day life being with family, friends, and any extra time at the gym or pool. Since I had saved up about $7k in my savings for a mini-retirement, I was in no rush to get another job.
I got a nice big tax return that had stimulus checks included with it. I didn’t know what to do with all the money but I had always wanted an espresso machine because I spend so much money on coffee every day. So I made the decision to get an espresso machine. It finally arrived and I was obsessed. I couldn’t stop experimenting with drinks & I wanted to make them for everyone – my family, my boyfriend, the leasing office at my apartment. I just couldn’t stop. One day I was sitting on my couch talking to my boyfriend & I just said to him, I could literally start a coffee shop with this thing… We both laughed at first but then we started thinking… What it? Why not? So I started thinking of ideas and getting very excited that I would start my own coffee shop. I had always been OBSESSED with coffee shops. I loved the atmosphere, the music, the people I would meet, and obviously the tasty drinks. You could ask anyone that knows me where I would spend all my time and they would respond with, “a coffee shop”.
I was spending every second thinking of what I would need before I started. Cups, lids, straws, a menu, a logo, licenses, permits. The list was never-ending. I felt like I had to have everything figured out before I started so I kept pushing my opening date back further & further & further. I’ve realized today that when starting a business, just start. Stop overthinking, stop overwhelming your self with unnecessary steps. If you don’t have everything figured out, thats okay! Just start and you will slowly figure everything out as you go. TRUST THE PROCESS.
I finally set an opening date – July 3rd, 2021. I was in a booth set up like you see at farmers markets & I set up in my mother’s front yard in Daybreak. I was breaking SO many rules by doing this but who cares! If someone came and told me I couldn’t set up here, I was just going to find another place, set up there, and stay until someone would kick me out. I got my first customer and they ordered a cappuccino… CRAP! I didn’t practice this drink once! I literally made one on the spot after googling it & voila! One large cappuccino. Gotta love google for the easily accessible knowledge.
We got about 9 sales that day. My whole family came to see me and we got a few people walking by on the street. If you know Daybreak, you know there are constantly people outside going on walks, paddle boarding, biking, etc. I thought it’d be the perfect place! The next time we set up was a few days later at Liberty Park downtown. It was a slow day but back then I was happy to get any sales. Within a day someone hit us up to do an event for them. I was freaking out! I couldn’t believe someone already wanted us for their party. That was our first big day. We got so many sales I couldn’t believe it. That place ended up having us back WEEKLY for about 3 months. They were basically my main source of income as well as a few farmers’ markets here and there.
The summer that I started Sunroom Coffee was probably the hardest summer of my life. The labor I had to do every single day was endless and miserable. But this miserable was different. Different than the one I had to face when I was a leasing agent or at any of my other jobs. When you start a business, you’re choosing a life where the highs are extra high and the lows are lower than low. I put up with the hardest shit because I know how good I feel when I have it set up and my regulars come and I get to be apart of everyone’s morning/day.
We were growing so quick that I was able to buy a trailer by September so I would have something to sell out of for the colder months. It was just a plain white trailer, the interior and exterior weren’t finished. There was one door that we would sell out of instead of a window and we were just making it work. Then November-December were really hard months. I would almost say I stopped doing Sunroom Coffee for almost two months. I had no motivation and I felt like I was having a huge creative block. I was being very close-minded.
Then Sunroom Coffee was reborn when we started getting multiple real estate agents wanting us at their open houses. This was an hourly rate we would do for smaller events. Everyone was loving our drinks so much that I thought to myself, how could I be open more times a week for people to come and try our coffee? So I made a jump and reached out to the nicest luxury apartments in Utah – Hardware Apartments. My mother was friends with the manager there so that helped A TON with being able to sell with them. They said yes! They wanted us there twice a week every week!
We finally got a wrap and window installed on the trailer and started selling out of there any chance we could. We applied to huge events, concerts, farmers’ markets, anything we could get our hands on. We would reach out to brokers and real estate agents to attend their open houses. With hardware every week and about one event every week I felt like Sunroom was really starting to grow and change. We had a crazy busy summer in 2022 that I finally had to hire my first employee in September. I was so excited with what this would bring!
I started getting better at marketing and designing posts for our instagram which helped a ton. We started getting so many followers on Instagram, we were growing in almost every aspect.
Today we sell at 4th West Apartments twice a week & Hardware apartments twice a week as well & we can’t wait for the new big things coming up!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nope. Haha, as I’m sure you can probably expect, it was struggle after struggle. When I first started, I had to borrow supplies from my whole family to make it possible for sunroom to run properly. I had NOTHING besides an espresso machine and the drive to make something work. I also only had a sedan when I started which didn’t;t fit everything in it so I had to use my boyfriend’s car. I also had my boyfriend’s help along the whole way to help me carry heavy things that I couldn’t do on my own. I could not have done it without him.
I finally sold my car & got an old 2001 Xterra. It was on its last leg but I needed to get something to get me from point A to point B. After 2 months with that car, someone totaled it while it was parked at our apartments. So I was back to using my boyfriend’s car. I went 10 months without a car and still figuring out ways to run Sunroom. It was very difficult and challenging. It made me feel like I had no control because we could only do the coffee shop when he didn’t need his car.
Becoming fully profitable while also paying myself was a big challenge as well. I couldn’t hire someone until I reached this point and it felt like it was never a possibility. Having an employee, we finally reached this point. I had to raise my prices, find the best price for buying supplies, and be extremely smart with my money at all times. From starting Sunroom Coffee til about a month ago, I have been living “paycheck to “paycheck” and also working non-stop. It was hard but worth it, to me.
I guess the biggest challenge would probably be money. I started Sunroom Coffee with $1,000 in my bank account. If I would have just started the business as soon as I quit my job, I would have started with a lot more money, but since I kept pushing it off my money was being drained just by my bills alone. I tried and tried to get approved for a grant, a loan, anything to help me get Sunroom off the ground but I would apply and never hear anything back from anyone. It was extremely difficult. I didn’t get any extra money from family or significant others, it was just me with $1,000 trying to make it work every month & it was harder than hell.
The last challenge I would say would be that it has been just me the whole time. I don’t have anyone to help discuss pricing, or business plans, or to contribute to buying stuff for the business. I run the instagram, I come up with designs, I made our logo, I came up with the prices, I came up with drink recipes, anything you can think of, I thought of a way to pull it off and it has not been easy. I look at these other small businesses with business partners and other people helping grow the business and I would give anything for that but I know one day I will be there.
We’ve been impressed with Sunroom Coffee, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Sunroom Coffee is a mobile coffee shop that specializes in handcrafted espresso beverages. We are probably most known for our Strawberry Fields iced coffee. It is a Special on our menu that is a white mocha with strawberry cold foam on it and our regulars go crazy for it. We are definitely also known for our colorful flavorful cold foams. We serve them in 3-4 of our specialty drinks and almost all of our holiday drinks! Our customers say they could drink a full glass of just cold foam… We don’t blame them.
During the summer we have wisteria flowers all over the top side of our coffee trailer that really makes us stick out. We try to go above and beyond when it comes to decorations. Life is short, why not have fun with it and push the limits of decor.
Brand-wise, I am most proud of our customer base. I feel like we are a family more than a business/customer relationship. I look forward to seeing my regulars every week. It’s my favorite part of my day. We would not be who we are today if it wasn’t for them. They make it happen every week and I am so thankful for that. I do whatever I can to make it the best experience possible for each and every one of our customers. I know each by name and what they’re going to order every day. Light ice, a splash of almond milk, only 2 pumps of vanilla & three Splenda, extra foam in their cappuccino, extra hot latte, I don’t forget a single detail.
Sunroom Coffee has an extensive specialty menu. Ranging from something as simple as a sweet honey cinnamon latte, to something as complex as a quad shot mocha cold brew with vanilla cold foam on top. If you’re looking for a reason to come to Sunroom Coffee, its that we will blow your mind with our flavor combinations. Ever had a coffee that tasted like chocolate-covered strawberries? We got you, strawberry fields. Got no sleep last night and need a drink that will keep you going all day and crash just when you need to? Large Black Diamond on the way.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I am a huge fan of risk. Since day one of Sunroom, I have been taking risks and it has been scarier than hell. When you choose to start a business, you and choosing a risky life style. Sunroom Coffee is the product you get when you’re constantly risking sweat, tears, and blood. Every month has been a risk of “will I be able to pay my bills this month? who knows!” “Will something break down and I will have to pull off the biggest improvisation in history? Gotta prepare for that!” It’s so scary but you just have to have fun with it. You have to make light of every situation because you are going to be faced with constant bull shit every second of every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: sunroomcoffeeco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunroomcoffee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunroomcoffeeco
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SunroomCoffee
