Focus on Black-owned Businesses: Coffee craving prompts Macedonia couple to open shop
29 December, 2021
It all started with a coffee craving.
When Brittany and Dre Wiley decided to take a break from talking with their home builder to get a cup of coffee, they made a discovery about Macedonia, the place they were going to call home.
"We discovered there was no local coffee shop," Brittany said.
The Wileys, both 33, decided to do something about the lack of a local java house and opened Mocha Coffee Co. on 777 E. Aurora Road in Macedonia. The company had its grand opening and ribbon cutting on Dec. 2.
"We are coffee and wine people," Brittany said. "As soon as we noticed that void in the community, we wanted to fill that void."
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Opening one business during a global pandemic would be noteworthy enough, but the Wileys also opened Magna Wine Boutique locations in Bedford in May 2020 and in Cuyahoga Falls in January 2021.
Brittany is president and Dre vice president of Magna Wine.
"Dre and I have been in adult beverages for pretty much over a decade," Brittany said. "We both have worked for huge companies, basically the leaders in adult beverages. We love wine and hospitality."
At Mocha Coffee Co., Brittany said that they "source our beans from quality locations." For example, they serve a light roast from beans from Ethiopia, and a dark roast from Columbia.
Mocha Coffee also serves teas and hot chocolate.
One specialty is their mocha.
"The mocha is definitely extra special," she said. "The Honeybee latte is extra special."
Another highlight, Brittany said, is that the staff also is local.
"Dre and I have lived in Northeast Ohio basically all of our lives," she said. "We bought our first home in Bedford, and our first business was in Bedford. It's all about community for us."
Brittany said that she and Dre are largely self-taught when it comes to coffee and wine.
"We've been to hundreds of wineries through our lifetime," she said.
Brittany said she has an MBA in finance and has taught at Cleveland State University.
In the future, Brittany said she would like to start a coffee subscription service, where they send their coffee blends through the mail "to help build brand recognition."
What's their key to starting a successful business?
"Be patient," Brittany said. "Be sure that the business that you start is the business you love. Many just go into business to make money, and many of those fail."
Source: www.beaconjournal.com