Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Allman.
Jen, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have been working in the medical field as travel Surgical Tech for the last eight years, spending most of the week out of town or the state. During Covid, I became a mother but continued to work 3 days a week out of state and felt pretty cut off from my family and community; the feeling persisted even after Covid restrictions had been lifted and life returned to “normal.”
Once my son started preschool, I wanted to create something that would allow me to be home more often while combining my passion for coffee, hosting events and developing relationships with people in my community; opening the coffee truck checked all those boxes! We’ve been open now for just over three months and I can’t get over how much support we’ve gotten from our community; I am thankful every day when people show up.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Yes, it has been a pretty smooth road overall yet we have faced many challenges during the year of planning and building out the truck. We have invested a lot of time and money into making this a reality; it’s hard when you’re spending uncomfortable amounts of money on a vision that you hope other people will understand and embrace. Creating something completely new and introducing to our area was pretty intimidating and I wasn’t completely sure anyone would show up. During the planning stage, we conducted a lot of market-research with focus groups comprised of friends, colleagues and area parents. Yet, seeing people lining up outside the truck with smiles on their faces remained a illusive idea up until we opened the window on that first day.
On my side, I spent a lot of time working with our roaster Matt Robertson of Mission Coffee from Columbus, Ohio learning everything I could about the craft of making coffee. I also spent a lot of time working with local graphic designer Alix Northrop of AN Creative developing our logo and branding for the exterior of our truck. The vinyl wrapping was completed by a very talented local artist Jordanna Bungard from West Side Signs.
Lastly, preparing for our “Soft-Opening” required far more time that we first imagined. My husband Eric who teaches middle school and has an extensive background in home-remodeling was very supportive of my idea; he bult the entire truck out for me in our driveway over the course of the winter and spring. Our truck, Clementine, is a 1992 Chevy P30 step-van which served as a maintenance truck at in the US Army at Fort Bragg, NC.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Honestly, I don’t feel like being on the truck is really work; it feels like all my friends stopping by for a coffee and to hang out; sure there’s plenty of work behind the scenes but being on the truck makes me really happy! I enjoy being creative in the kitchen, coming up with new drinks and hosting parties. I love being able to engage with our customers; many of them have helped with naming some of the drinks. A lot of my inspiration for new drinks comes from our customers and our conversations. I know we are still very new but our community really “understood the assignment” and has embraced our idea in a way that I never fully anticipated. Our tagline of “Brewing Community” means a lot more to me than just a catchy phrase; I see our community growing daily and I am truly thankful to everyone for their support.
What qualities do you feel are most important to your success?
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/sipscoffeetruck
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sipscoffeetruck?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
@prickly.pears.photo
