Exploring Life & Business with Joelle and Hans Hochstedler of Florin Coffee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joelle and Hans Hochstedler. 

Hi Joelle and Hans, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We (Hans and Joelle Hochstedler) are from Columbus, OH where we live with our three kiddos. Back in 2017, we had worked over 10 years in the coffee industry and saw a need to make specialty coffeez fun and easy, in a coffee culture that at the time was often pretentious and exclusive. We had always dreamed of working for ourselves and operating our own business, often with rose-colored glasses. We found ourselves at a life crossroads with two kids and one on the way, mounting dreams and goals for the future, and sensed it was time to stop dreaming and start doing. So, in March 2017, just after the birth of our third child, Florin Coffee opened its doors online. We focused on our Coffee Subscription program, as well as wholesale accounts for offices and organizations. By renting time on another company’s roaster and packaging out of our kitchen, we ran a lean ship. We worked side jobs and nights, took meetings on a moment’s notice, anything to grow the business. By the end of the year we had purchased our own roaster and moved into a local co-working space (shout out to COhatch!). This was a great place to work in community with other entrepreneurs and better balance work and home life.

In November, 2018 we moved into our own roasting facility just a few blocks from our house in Columbus. We had spent many hours rehabbing this former run-down bakery with soiled carpets and grease on the walls into a clean and efficient workspace. We took a look around and realized it looked like a coffee shop… The neighbors noticed too, and often popped in while we were working to buy coffee. We had none to offer, which was silly considering we had the expertise and most of the equipment to run a shop. A friend with coffee industry experience approached us with an offer we couldn’t refuse: “If you open a coffee shop, I’ll run it.”

So in late January 2020, Florin Cafe opened its doors to the public. A brick-and-mortar shop where people could try our coffee, hang out with friends, and get an encouraging smile from the barista. We all know what happened in the spring of 2020, but our community showed up in an amazing way. We never shut our doors and even hired more help. Since opening, we’ve expanded our hours, hired more staff, gown grown our wholesale and online program, and now work full-time for ourselves. It’s an amazing feeling to know we are brightening people’s day with our delicious coffee in their homes or at our Cafe!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Mostly. 🙂 When we first started out, my (Joelle’s) Dad told us, “If starting a business were easy, everyone would do it.” This was in the context of an encouraging conversation (my dad is also a small business owner), but he is right! It’s hard, and you don’t know what you don’t know. In many ways, it has been a smooth road, because it worked! We credit BOTH luck and grit as key factors. Luck came in opportunities, and grit made us willing to work nights (Hans would roast, I would parent), willing to pivot when circumstances changed, willing to take helpful criticism, willing to learn from failure, etc. When we were in the thick of trying to build a sustainable business, it felt like it was taking soooo loooong, which we naively hadn’t anticipated. But the reality is that it took four years to become fully self-employed and that isn’t too shabby!

The pandemic was of course a source of stress, but it gave us the opportunity to show our commitment to serving our customers, whether through pick-up services at our Cafe, or hand-delivering coffee to people’s homes. Serving others really guides our company, and when that’s the goal you can pivot through any circumstance to make that happen.

We’ve been impressed with Florin Coffee, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Florin Coffee sells coffee. But what we really do is help people fully enjoy every coffee break. If you’re a coffee-lover, the coffee ritual starts your day. Coffee is your companion on your commute. Coffee is comfort during a meeting. Coffee is a nightcap with dessert shared with friends after a good meal. These small moments string together into a good life, and bad coffee can ruin it! It’s disappointing to get a moment alone, sit down with a cup of coffee, and have it taste like rubber-flavored water. Or to stand overwhelmed in the grocery aisle and pick a random bag of coffee then get it home and it doesn’t taste good. We eliminate the disappointment and overwhelm by keeping our offerings simple: Only high-quality coffee purchased in an ethical manner, expertly roasted so the natural flavors and nuances of that coffee shine though, and shipped the next day so it arrives fresh and ready to be enjoyed. Our customers know they can count on us for delicious coffee, no matter which one they choose. We are proud to source our coffee from importers who have relationships with coffee farmers and pay well over commodity pricing. The social impact is amazing and something we are proud to support!

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Neither Hans nor I went to college! We don’t oppose it, but it wasn’t a part of our path. I (Joelle) used to be a little embarrassed about that, but now I own that our journey was a little unusual and I like that about us.

Pricing:

• $18 Coffee Subscription with free shipping
• $16 Average cost of a bag of coffee on our website
• $2 The cost of a cup of coffee at our Cafe

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@florincoffee.com
• Website: https://www.florincoffee.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florincoffee/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/florincoffee

Image Credits
Chris Bowman