Local barista gets the wheels turning for future storefront
BAILEE WOODS, CONTRIBUTOR
Brock Peters sets up shop selling coffee from his mobile cart. The entrepreneur is trying to make the move from cart to coffee shop with an Indiegogo campaign and a social. THE PROJECTOR/Bailee Woods
Although his customers are always on-the-go, Brock Peters wants to bring his coffee cart to a halt.
Peters is the owner of The Strong Badger Coffeehouse, a mobile coffee cart he has been trekking around downtown Winnipeg since summer. While he’s garnered attention this way, Peters said he wants to take his business into an actual store.
Looking to combine his day job of selling books and weekend job of selling coffee, Peters has launched an Indiegogo campaign to make this a reality.
“My interests really lay in music and books, so my original idea was to make a space where those things could come together,” said Peters. “The cart was a peripheral thing. My goal is the shop.”
Peters has already created that collaborative space with his mobile coffee cart where his friends sometimes join him to busk, make art or write poems for the customers. His shop, he said, would be all about bringing the arts and a good cup of java together as one.
Muriel Dupuis, a business administration student at Red River College, has some advice for Peters. She said there are two important aspects to getting a business on its feet.
“Have a great product and have the clients support you,” said Dupuis.
Peters keeps in touch with his clients by posting where he is for the day on Facebook and Instagram.
On top of the Indiegogo campaign, Peters is hosting a social at the German Society of Winnipeg on Flora Avenue. The Oct. 17 event is to help raise money for his storefront.
All the supplies Brock Peters needs are on the cart. He whips up an iced coffee in no time as part of his on-the-go coffee cart, The Strong Badger Coffeehouse. THE PROJECTOR/
Bailee Woods
“I really want to have the lease signed by the time the social comes up,” said Peters. “It’s about telling people what I’m doing and saying hey, if you think this is cool check us out when the shop opens.”
Although he doesn’t have a specific location picked out, Peters said he would like to open up shop in the West End.
“I feel like that’s a solid community and that’s something I’d like to develop in all aspects of the business,” said Peters. “I really like the idea of keeping it in the community.”
When it comes to the product, Peters said the goal is to create a balance between good quality coffee and affordable pricing. He plans to keep his product as local as he can by supporting Manitoba roasters.
After a summer of wheeling his cart around and getting the word out, Peters is now in the final stages of planning.
“I’ve got pretty much everything sourced and priced out. I’m sitting down now and really crunching numbers,” he said.
To avoid snowy tires, Peters said he hopes to be in store by December.
