Out of a Long Beach house and garage, a small coffee company is brewing up big plans.
In honor of national small business day, Heartbreak Coffee set up shop at Maker’s Mart on Saturday in the east village of Long Beach. Co-founder Michelle Bandach, a Cal State University Long Beach political science graduate, said Heartbreak Coffee sold out of most of its products, including 20 pounds of coffee and 40 jars of cold-brew drinks while at the event.
Co-founder and roaster, Gretchen Williams said Long beach is a great place for small businesses to do well.
“You don’t have to work too hard to want people to shop small and shop local because people love this city and want to support it,” Williams said.
After graduating from University of Mississippi in 2008, Williams took on roasting and brewing her own coffee as a hobby. She and Bandach began brewing their own coffee and giving it to friends.
“[Last November], we had our friends over to see if our coffee was actually drinkable, or [if] it suck[ed],” Williams said. “And since then, everybody has responded incredibly.”
Williams and Bandach said they started with a half-pound, table top roaster that they quickly outgrew. Williams said she has a larger roaster in the garage, but that sustaining all aspects of production, such as label-making and shipping, from their home is no longer feasible.
“The next step is having a constant place where people can come in daily to get our coffee,” Williams said.
This is the first year Maker’s Mart has blocked off the street to allow for a bigger venue.
Gina Dartt, the Marketing and special events manager for Downtown Long Beach Associates, said last year, store owners worked independently to have sidewalk sales.
“We wanted to get behind their efforts and expand this already established event and really grow it to bring a lot of people downtown to shop at small businesses,” Dartt said.
Williams said Heartbreak business began to boom for them due to interest on Instagram and international support of their kick-starter, which received donations from about 500 people all over the world.
Since they started, they have brought in friend, Larina Corbell as a co-owner and wholesale manager. Now that production and sales have outgrown their house on Bellflower Blvd., the trio said they plan to set up a brick-and-mortar storefront on Long Beach Blvd.
“We’re hoping to be open by February if possible [because] in the middle of February… the National Barista Championships (NBC) will be at the convention center [in Long Beach],” Williams said.
Williams said this event would bring in a crowd of coffee enthusiasts as high as 10,000 people to the Long Beach area. She said Heartbreak Coffee wants to have a presence in this event and have guest shifts of NBC barista competitors at their store as a way to intermingle with the community.
Corbell said Heartbreak Coffee is founded on authenticity and genuine hospitality.
“A lot of times, the barista is the first person someone sees in the morning, and we can be a catalyst for their day,” Corbell said. “Having a store is a great way to know the community and create relationships with the people in it that I believe in.”
Williams said company’s slogan, “All things bittersweet,” embodies the meaning behind the name.
“When I bought my roaster, I was at a super low place … it felt like the universe was telling me not to pursue coffee,” Williams said. “[Heartbreak Coffee] is the idea of taking things that are kind of bittersweet and turning it into something great and productive and successful and that people love. It’s all the heartbreak.”
