Take one part log cabin, add two parts business sense and a liberal dash of entrepreneurship. What you end up with is The Beanstalk LLC, a unique coffee shop that will soon celebrate its one-year anniversary.
Co-owned by Courtney Lloyd and her mother Candy Lloyd, The Beanstalk opened on July 1 last year, and is located in the parking lot of the Vancouver Gun and Trap Club in Orchards. Lloyd, now 24, said she has previously worked in the coffee business and recognizes its potential as a “billion dollar industry.”
“I’m a young entrepreneur and jumped on the opportunity,” said Lloyd. “I’m good at customer relations, have the skills and a good work ethic. I knew it was something I could do.”
Lloyd said that running the shop, which sells high-end espresso drinks, mochas, lattes, fruit smoothies, energy drinks, breakfast sandwiches and a wide variety of pastries, has taught her more about business in the last nine or ten months than she has learned over several years of taking online business classes from Central Washington University.
While most coffee shop owners find a location and then get a building, Lloyd did things in the reverse order. She found a 10×14 log cabin for sale in Castle Rock – it had drive-thru windows on both sides and had previously been used as a coffee shop. Originally from Montesano, WA, she said she “fell in love” with the cabin, which appealed to her small-town upbringing. She bought the cabin in January 2014, but then she needed to find somewhere to put it.
“There were two things I wanted,” she said, “which are a good location and a good product. That’s what you need to be successful.”
Her location requirements included an all-paved lot, low-speed traffic, separate entrance and exit driveways and a turning lane – but finding such a place wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be.
Some spots looked good, but she couldn’t get county approval. Other places had rent that was “sky high.” At other spots she was turned down by the parking lot’s owner.
“I learned a lot about hiring an engineer and dealing with county requirements that you wouldn’t even think of,” Lloyd said. “I got turned down a lot of times.”
So many times, in fact, that she said she almost gave up.
But in April she discovered the Trap Club’s location. She attended the Club’s next board meeting, prepared with a business plan.
“They told me that they had declined a previous coffee shop application,” said Lloyd. “But they were impressed with my plan and my entrepreneurial spirit, and gave us the green light.”
After a little work to install a water line, she hired Ridgefield-based TLC Towing to transport the cabin from Castle Rock on a flatbed, along with two forklifts on a separate flatbed.
She said the cabin fits in with the rural theme of the Trap Club and transmits a real “northwest” ambience.
Since opening day last year (100 degrees and no air conditioning), the shop has seen sales climb dramatically. She said in the last three months revenue is up 30 percent (and they’ve added AC).
The business’ success, she said, relies on consistent customer service, but is also a result of her mom’s support.
“I really appreciate my mom taking a chance on me, having faith in me that I can do this,” said Lloyd. “My parent’s work ethic is also a positive influence on my results with the business.”
New customers, she said, ask if her shop is part of a chain.
“That is such a good thing to hear – I hope we can one day branch out, but for now I want to finish school… you can only take on so much,” said Lloyd. “Based on how fast we grown, it should be very possible to open [additional] locations.”
