Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Crawford.
Hi Sophia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When we started Ground and Pound Coffee, I knew it was going to be a challenge. Prior to opening my business, I had a successful 30 years career as a professional stuntwoman & actress in the film and television industry. At a certain point, I realized it was time I tried to transition into a new career.
Years of accumulative damage was beginning to take a toll on my body and yet I was still young and certainly wasn’t ready to retire completely. I was based in Los Angeles for most of my career but my husband is a Georgia native and we had been visiting regularly to see his family. I liked Georgia because it reminds me a little of England, which is where I’m from originally. I love the beautiful trees and forests that Georgia has to offer. So when the opportunity came up to open a coffee shop in Atlanta, we both decided it was a good time to relocate and begin something new.
Someone once said, “A stuntwoman and coffee?” What’s the correlation? While growing up in London, I worked in several Cafe’s and Brasseries during my teenage years. I had a little bit of knowledge of the food service industry and had always enjoyed the experience. However, building a business is different and very difficult so I knew I was going to face many learning curves throughout this journey. Little did I know the extent of the obstacles and challenges ahead of me.
We opened our doors in October 2019. We were so excited to start serving and our initial opening was very good. Our local community was curious to see what the new kids on the block had to offer, but then the pandemic hit and suddenly overnight every single business shut down.
Our staff at the time was let go so they could redeem their unemployment benefits. We quickly came up with a game plan. We refused to shut our doors entirely or we would never have reopened. I created a small breakfast menu, which I cooked myself and we served coffee, pastries and breakfast to first responders, grocery workers and customers working from home. Our customers were happy to pull up in a mask and grab a pick-up order. Honestly, that saved us and we were so thankful. We still lost 75% of revenue March through May but we kept those doors open! When Governor Kemp opened inside dining to 50% capacity we separated seating, hired a cook and built on our breakfast menu. Gradually we began to recover and people started to come out again. Music was something we had just introduced prior to the pandemic yet that was shut down until we were able to eventually bring it back.
Through the summer/fall of 2020, we worked on building our lunch and breakfast menu and applied for our liquor license. That was quite an arduous task with government offices still shut down and it took over seven months to get it. Once we finally had it, we brought back the music program that we had missed so much. We have a lot of live music in our shop now.
Every Saturday night, we have a band and every other Friday, we have our resident artist – Barbria Dianne – who is an incredible vocalist and blows us away with her Whitney Houston/Aretha Franklin covers. There is no cover charge for our music performances because we value our community and want them to have a space where they can just come and have a cocktail and enjoy music.
We also added Trivia which has become extremely popular and a monthly comedy show with some of the best comedians in Atlanta. All of my bartenders/baristas are excellent at whipping up specially crafted coffees & cocktails to pair with our freshly made food. It really is a team effort. We all enjoy coming up with new ideas and have a lot of fun experimenting with recipes.
Many customers have commented on the positive energy, the ambience and the quirky nature of our shop. So nice to hear! When customers comment on the excellent quality of our coffee or the friendly service we provide, it truly touches us. Everything we have accomplished at Ground & Pound has been driven by the heart and produced layer by layer. There’s a wish list of things we are striving towards building but with limited capital, it is impossible to add everything all at once. As our business grows and cash flow comes in, it’s immediately redirected into improving different aspects of our business. Our next step will be to introduce an app for pick-up orders and create some cool merchandise. We have some really fun themes in mind and with the name Ground & Pound!
Day to day, I work with my cafe manager, Tim. We put our heads together creating events and try to find ways to improve operations so the shop is running fluidly. There’s never a time to feel complacent because we are always evolving and our goals get bigger as we go along in our journey. I’m extremely proud of what we have accomplished so far and grateful for the new opportunities that have come our way. All of us at Ground & Pound are excited to see how we can expand moving forward.
We were recently awarded BEST OF ALPHARETTA 2022. I can’t fully express how good that felt and how the award boosted our morale. This summer, we lost our A/C at the worst possible time. It was tremendously hot and humid, but nevertheless, my staff and I kept the shop open. My staff worked until noon and then I worked alone in the hottest hours through the afternoon, frequently sticking my face in the freezer in the kitchen to try and cool down. It was 109 degrees – not the best working conditions we know – but our customers were incredibly loyal and supported us by picking up their orders to go.
It was brutal! It took at least a month for me to get a five-ton air conditioning unit on the roof because of the supply chain. Certain companies were taking advantage of limited supplies and they were severely price gouging. I went through multiple quotes to get it at the best cost. Fortunately, we made it through and business bounced back very quickly.
Kudos to my staff for not all quitting at once and having the determination to work through the heat. It’s a testament to how much they love the shop and believe in it as much as I do. Most of my staff are performers or artists. One of the benefits that I offer them is that if they book an acting gig we all make sure we cover their shifts so they can go and make some extra money to continue following their dreams while working at the shop.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
For any small business working capital and cash flow are key. When the pandemic hit, we applied for PPP. We were denied in 2020 because our earnings were greater in 2020 compared to 2019. We were only open for two and a half months in 2019 so of course, our 2020 earnings were more. That didn’t mean we didn’t lose a ton of money through the first part of the 2020. It was a loophole we fell into. On the one hand, it’s a miracle we survived but those months were harsh. We couldn’t pay rent and so we were put on a payment plan. Thankfully our landlord didn’t just throw us out and shut us down.
It wasn’t only money that was tight that year. Staff shortages were everywhere and in some places they still are. The Chick Fill-A across the street from us doesn’t open until 10:30 am because they don’t have enough staff. There were months when I was working seven days a week in the kitchen because I could not find a cook. I don’t mind filling those positions but it’s very challenging managing all the other aspects of the business when you’re working a hundred hours a week and most of that time you are cooking all day and doing grocery runs, etc. We have now overcome those obstacles and I have three fantastic cooks in the kitchen. Are you willing to do what is necessary when things get difficult to survive? As an owner/operator it is important to know and understand each position in the shop and to be able to fill in those positions yourself whenever needed. When you’re running a business, the hours can be long. I often find myself taking food orders in my sleep or dreaming about the list of things I need to accomplish.
Coming from the film industry, there are work ethics I learned that have helped me tremendously. Dealing with long hours, high stress, and most of all problem-solving. In stunts when we were on set we would often have to adapt quickly to changes that were made unexpectedly. In the shop, problems arise on a daily basis. Whether it be something small or big, these things need to be addressed and you have to work through the process to find a solution to resolve it. It takes a strong mind at times to deal with the things that hit you at the worst of times.
My business partner over at Hansa Coffee in Chicago once said to me, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Sometimes it’s like that. I have a massive thing I have to deal with and all I can do is work on it one bite at a time. The main thing is staying focused, prioritizing what is most essential and work through that list. Eventually, you’ll get there and it will give one a great sense of accomplishment.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Ground & Pound Coffee?
Our mission at Ground and Pound Coffee has always been to create a warm and welcoming space for our local community. We encourage our customers to sit down, savor your coffee and just take a moment. Whether you’re coming in to sit and work or meeting up with friends or if you’re just coming in to listen to some great music, the most essential aspect of Ground and Pound Coffee is to bring people together.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
It begins with a vision. In your mind you can visualize your dream, but how do you execute this dream and make it a reality? Formulate a business plan and plan your budget. Create a team of like-minded people that adhere to your vision.
Commercial equipment for a coffee shop can be very pricey. It’s best to search around for quality used equipment. There are different forums like the ‘Coffee business owners group’ on Facebook that you can join which will help provide some very useful tips, advise on troubleshooting and sometimes offer equipment for sale. Communication is so important with your staff, investors and suppliers. Don’t be afraid to ask for help with things that you don’t understand.
Staff is your biggest asset and your biggest cost. I have a team that I adore and trust. I try to do what I can to make sure they are happy. I always ask that if they have any concerns to come to me so we can address any situations that may arise. Without my staff, I have nothing. I can’t run this operation alone. The first impression for any new customer starts at my POS station. Take care of your employees. If your employees aren’t happy it will show.
Don’t be discouraged if you see a little ebb and flow. As long as you can see growth year by year, you are on the right track. This year we are up 32% from the previous year. That doesn’t mean we didn’t have some painfully slow days. The overall the growth is there and that’s what important.
If you truly have a passion for whatever it is you do then, honestly, you’ll never give up. My business has definitely had plenty of ups and downs yet at the end of the day, there is nothing more satisfying than soaking in the emotion of what we’ve collectively created in our shop.
The music, the ambience, the positive reviews, the children growing up in front of our eyes and the general feeling of family is absolutely priceless. As challenging as things may be, especially in this day and age, I believe in following your dreams. It’s worth it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @groundandpoundcoffee
- Facebook: Ground & Pound Coffee
- Other: @sophiacrawfordstunts – instagram
Image Credits
Latte photograph credit: Dailyn Matthews
