[0:02] [Music] [0:09] hello I'm Sam dagio and welcome to this [0:11] week's the local this week I'm excited [0:14] to introduce you to Julie Joe's Julie is [0:16] the owner of the OG Coffee and Wine Bar [0:19] welcome Julie I'm so excited to have you [0:21] join us this week thank you I'm excited [0:22] to be here and chatting with you Julie [0:24] do you want to tell us a little bit [0:25] about yourself and about your business [0:27] why you started the OG so our family is [0:30] and um in college I worked at a coffee [0:33] shop I studied all the time at different [0:35] coffee shops and I just kind of always [0:37] had in my head that someday you know [0:38] maybe when I retire I will do this go [0:40] work at a well-known coffee shop and [0:42] maybe teach them how to do customer [0:43] service or I would open my own one so [0:45] the time came and I went for it before [0:48] retirement so when you and I first met [0:50] you were not working at a coffee shop [0:52] you did not own the coffee shop you came [0:54] to me at the city and you said you know [0:56] I have a dream can you tell the [0:58] community how you found me and a little [1:00] bit about what your plans were um so a [1:03] fellow resident of Chan right that works [1:05] for the city said you know what you [1:07] probably need to talk to this individual [1:08] Samantha and so I was fortunate that [1:11] that connection was made CU I may not [1:13] have stumbled upon you otherwise and we [1:17] just got to talking and I I think in [1:19] talking with you I discovered how you [1:21] could help um and as you know I shopped [1:25] around for different locations I really [1:26] wanted to be in Chanhassen but at the [1:29] time the location was not popping up for [1:31] me so I visited neighboring towns and I [1:34] got to know the other you know [1:36] Samantha's in the neighboring cities [1:38] that role um and I would just say I mean [1:41] super helpful in the fact that you also [1:45] could connect me to individuals whether [1:47] it be fellow business owners I may not [1:49] have thought you know how could talking [1:51] with a certain individual who's a [1:53] different type of business entirely [1:54] could be beneficial to me but it's a [1:57] relationship I still have and you helped [1:58] me to create many of those so I'm very [2:01] thankful for that and one thing that you [2:02] and I when we first met and you came to [2:04] me and you said you know I have this [2:06] business idea this business plan I often [2:09] have people come to me with their [2:10] business ideas how far along down the [2:12] line do you think you were you know do [2:14] you think you were at a 10% business [2:15] plan a 90% business plan where do you [2:18] think you were with your business [2:19] planning and your business concept it's [2:21] a good question because I come from a [2:23] business planning background my [2:25] professional world was strategic [2:26] planning so I probably thought I was [2:28] really far along but one of the [2:29] individuals you put me in contact with [2:31] lehal super helpful very thankful for [2:34] all of the conversations that he and I [2:36] had and I showed him my business plan [2:39] and he was able to share with me okay [2:41] here are some of the gaps or the level [2:43] of detail you'd need to go further into [2:45] if I was going to be pursuing an SBA [2:47] loan as an example or just to have my [2:50] ducks in a row as a landlord would want [2:52] to consider me as a you know reliable [2:54] tenant uh for years to come so I felt [2:56] like it was far along but some of the [2:58] resourcing that I started to then [2:59] connect with helped round that out the [3:03] concept of this I would say was locked [3:06] in but the details of financial [3:08] projections and market research was [3:10] something that came a little bit longer [3:12] um or down the road so when you and I [3:14] met a year and a half ago you had this [3:16] business plan you were working on things [3:19] and one of the people I referred you to [3:20] was LE Hall with next stage can you talk [3:22] a little bit about what Leal and next [3:24] stage what they do and and how they were [3:26] valuable to you as a resource yeah I [3:28] mean perhaps they help in different ways [3:30] based on where an individual is at in [3:32] their stage when they come to them but [3:33] for me it was just getting comfortable [3:36] talking about the business concept [3:38] because what I didn't realize at that [3:40] point is that I would then have many [3:42] future conversations with potential [3:45] landlords potential partners and to be [3:47] able to talk clearly about the business [3:50] concept is really important if you're [3:52] trying to get somebody to buy into that [3:54] idea and perhaps go on the journey with [3:56] you so he helps to round out your story [4:00] um he looks at your business plan and [4:03] he's pretty financially oriented so can [4:06] offer up questions and ideas that really [4:08] make you feel confident walking away [4:10] that you have the right Financial [4:12] projections or thinking to be able to [4:14] get to those and and feel good about [4:16] what you'd be building towards he was a [4:18] confidence boost honestly in many ways [4:20] so as I was shopping around at different [4:22] locations you know I could call him and [4:24] say okay this is what I'm hearing about [4:26] this location what do you know what do [4:28] you think what questions should I be be [4:29] asking so I'd say a soundboard um uh [4:34] Financial I don't want to say adviser [4:37] but just you know um a financial minded [4:40] individual to look at the business plan [4:42] and help round it out um and then he [4:45] also has you know strong relationships [4:47] in the different cities in this County [4:49] and he opened some doors for me as well [4:51] well one of the things I like to joke [4:52] about is kind of being a Matchmaker and [4:54] so so that kind of makes me happy [4:56] hearing that one of the matches I made [4:57] was very successful obviously you had a [5:00] need I was able to match you with a [5:02] resource and and were there any charges [5:04] did you have any charges using these [5:06] Services completely free um and at the [5:09] end of the day you know it really was [5:11] just his perspective and his guidance we [5:13] didn't do we didn't need any Financial [5:15] backing um but I know that that's [5:17] something that his his organization can [5:19] offer yeah um so yeah no it was totally [5:22] free and I talk about him to anybody [5:24] else that's in this area um and pursuing [5:27] something similar and I always tell [5:28] people I think having that knowledge and [5:30] that resource saves you money because if [5:32] you wouldn't have had that and you [5:33] wouldn't have been able to provide that [5:35] advice it would have cost you money [5:36] probably in the long run and it would [5:38] have taken more time I think for me to [5:40] get to um opening day right because [5:42] there was a point when I was talking to [5:44] a bank and his um conversations with me [5:47] helped me feel confident about talking [5:49] with him well excellent I'm so glad [5:51] you're able to use that resource yeah [5:52] let's talk a little bit more about you [5:54] and your business what makes you in the [5:55] OG Coffee and Wine Bar unique what is [5:58] special about you and your business I [5:59] think it's the space um I mean every day [6:02] I walk in and I just smile and feel [6:04] relaxed it smells good in here it it [6:07] welcomes you which I had hoped to do um [6:11] and I see people right we've been open a [6:13] month now I see people just hanging out [6:15] and I find myself as they leave saying [6:17] thanks for hanging out with us today so [6:19] I wanted a space where people could come [6:21] and feel comfortable to just be whatever [6:23] it is that they want to do work Converse [6:26] play games which people are you know [6:27] pulling up decks of cards or bringing in [6:29] their own games and playing so it's the [6:31] space in my opinion that I thought would [6:33] differentiate us and which is what I [6:35] think is happening do you have one [6:36] product that you have that's really been [6:38] a hit that kind of surprised you the [6:40] chai latte is pretty popular and if I'm [6:43] completely honest I picked it based on [6:46] what the Brand Packaging looked like it [6:48] had a really cool mermaid on it and I [6:50] loveed that so I ordered it um and it's [6:52] just really great I mean it's it's more [6:55] spice than sweet and that's been a [6:57] probably our top selling item onefold [6:59] disclosure that is my favorite thing to [7:01] order when I come in and and you did [7:02] recommend that to me um how have the [7:04] wines been selling I haven't been able [7:06] to come in for any wine yet but I know [7:08] that that's also been a popular thing in [7:10] the evenings for people to come in for [7:11] wines it has been and I'd say that [7:14] that's going well also um the concept is [7:16] to keep it simple I only have um on my [7:19] menu board space for eight varieties I [7:22] rotate out the labels every couple of [7:24] weeks just to kind of keep it fresh and [7:26] try new things and people are excited to [7:29] to you know try new things um I'm open [7:32] to recommendations like before opening I [7:35] tried to get some conversation going on [7:37] social media of tell me your go-to [7:38] drinks so I could try to have some [7:40] favorites available too so it's been [7:42] good one thing that you and I have [7:43] talked about and I know this was [7:45] important to you even before you opened [7:47] is your local your husband Dan's local [7:50] you have children who live locally yeah [7:52] what is important to you about [7:54] supporting the local community or about [7:55] keeping your business local can you talk [7:57] a little bit about why it was important [7:58] for you to remain local I think there's [8:00] a there's a charm about it there's um [8:04] typically a passion behind the story [8:06] with it as well and I think that most [8:10] communities want to be able to know the [8:12] people that they're supporting and it's [8:14] it's a two-way street right you get to [8:15] know your customers they get to know you [8:17] they get to know your product in your [8:19] space or whatever it is that you might [8:20] sell and for me I wanted to be part of [8:22] that and create that sense of community [8:24] um for myself for my family but also to [8:27] create it again in the space where [8:29] people can come and and create that for [8:31] themselves um I think a a city like [8:33] Chanhassen can really Thrive when [8:34] there's more local small businesses and [8:37] it's not just local for me it's female [8:39] oriented too so um you know my [8:42] merchandise here is from other local or [8:45] small or female-owned businesses and I'm [8:48] trying to do that wherever we can um [8:50] many of our ingredients that we sell are [8:53] local so our milk is from you know a [8:55] dairy farm in Forest Lake um some of our [8:58] syrups are are made from from [8:59] ingredients that come from Minnesota [9:01] Farms so trying to do it wherever I can [9:04] I know we appreciate that yeah is there [9:06] anything else that you would like the [9:07] residents of Chan Hassen to know about [9:09] yourself or about your business I'm just [9:11] really happy to be here the words are [9:13] reassuring that people walk in and say [9:16] you know thank you for bringing this to [9:17] Chanhassen we've needed this we're [9:19] excited for this um if there's something [9:22] I've been pleasantly surprised about is [9:24] that chivalry is still exists like [9:27] people come in for dates or mom and dad [9:30] are come in and get coffees together and [9:32] people are just hanging out and talking [9:34] and connecting and I love that and I [9:36] hope I can continue to be a place where [9:37] people want to come do that in [9:39] Chanhassen well we are so glad that [9:41] you're here and we just appreciate you [9:42] making this investment in Chanhassen I [9:44] just want to remind the residents that [9:46] local is more than just a zip code [9:48] living local means supporting our local [9:50] businesses until next time Chan Hassen