Today we’d like to introduce you to Alec Starling.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Stone Cup Cafe has been on Frazier Ave for about seventeen years now, hopping around from location to location. In March of 2016, we moved to our current location at 208 Frazier Ave and since then we have taken the cafe in a new direction, When management changed hands November of last year, we turned our focus to various events here at the cafe. We host artists from all over Tennessee, ranging from singer/songwriter to bass-heavy edm, taking advantage of the two huge windows on our top floor that overlook downtown Chattanooga and the Tennessee River. Along with live music, we also host a monthly improv comedy group, yoga classes, quarterly Science Cafe meetings, baby showers, and any other event that comes our way. Sitting adjacent to Coolidge Park, our spot is a prime location for tourists and locals alike.
Now onto the coffee. The coffee that we serve is locally roasted and world class. Jennifer Stone (thus Stone Cup), is a qualified Q grader, with more than 20 years of roasting experience under her belt. She purchases only the best arabica coffee from all around the world and blends them masterfully right here in Chattanooga. The Mosaic Blend is our house coffee and it is a post roast blend of dark roasted and lightly roasted beans from Indonesia and South America, creating a well-balanced flavor in the cup with a sweet and bold flavor with a pleasant acidity. It is easily one of my favorite coffees. We also offer on rotation an array of her other roasts ranging from her super light, super sweet, and crisp, Dutch Flowers blend, all the way to her chocolaty, bold, and heavy French Roast coffee.
Recently, we have been revamping our food menu, partnering up with the local Big Sycamore Farms to offer a fresh, organic produce option to our customers. Moving with the times, we hope to be 100% sustainable by 2020.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Wow, yeah it’s been pretty rocky if I’m being entirely honest. This is the first time I have ever taken on a job this big. I have been some form of management for almost every job I’ve had, however this is another beast entirely. But being almost a year in, I think I’m finally starting to get my bearings and am finally able to focus on other avenues and really hone in on the vision that I have for this place.
Stone Cup Cafe – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are known for our coffee, 100%. Our regulars that have been coming here for years are hooked on our coffee. It has been the back bone for our company for so long, as it should be in a coffee shop. Since management has changed hands we have had a little more financial breathing room so we are finally able to do some extra things here in the cafe. Like I said before, I’m aiming to have this business 100% sustainable by 2020 and I hope that when that happens, we will be none for our green initiative as well as the events that we are pumping out every month.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The Pop Up Party! A couple of months ago, we had some EDM artists visit us from Nashville and we really threw down hard. We had such a great turn out, everyone had fun, and no one got in trouble! We had fire spinners down stairs, beer for days, and deep bass traveling down Frazier Ave. It was an incredible night.
Pricing:
- For here coffee: $2.00 w/ .50 refills.
- Breakfast items range from $3.00-$5.50
- Lunch items range from $5.00-$10.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 208 Frazier Ave., Chattanooga, TN
- Website: Stonecupcafe.com
- Phone: 423-521-3977
- Email: Stonecupcafe@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StoneCupCafe/
Image Credit:
Brian Griffin
Mark A Herndon
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