We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gabe Hagen and Jesse Shank. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gabe below.
Gabe & Jesse, so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.
We’re lucky to have supportive and encouraging friends and family. No one in our circle has ever doubted our ability to build a business. It was initially an open question as to how outwardly supportive we could be of the queer community and attain success from a financial standpoint. However, a broad and enthusiastic response from the community has forever put that question to rest.
Some outsiders have indeed decided that our values are misguided, and some have gone so far as to attack us online, or even on our doorstep, for daring to take a stance on social issues that we believe in. Despite these instances, we have gained more support and been shown more love than we could ever have imagined. Thus solidifying what our core belief is: Love is stronger than Hate, and Love always wins.
We know our own hearts, and the encouragement of our customers and neighbors quickly drowns out any negativity. At work, we see friendships formed, art created, and shared and discovered interests. The smiles sustain us.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Brick Road Coffee is a locally and LGBTQ+-owned coffee shop located in the heart of Tempe, on Rural Road and the U.S. 60. Artisanal coffee, pastries, and pizzas are on the menu daily. At Brick Road, everyone is welcome. Founder/owners Gabe Hagen and Jesse Shank pride themselves on creating a space that is LGBTQ+ and sober-community friendly. In fact, “community” is very important to them.
Our mission is to be more than just a fabulous little coffee shop. We are working hard to create a place where the community intersects, connects, and supports each other in their individual goals. Creating a community culture where friends and neighbors, new and old alike, can come together is just as important as making the perfect latte.
Being members of the LGBTQ+ community, we (Hagen and Shank) know the struggle to fit in and feel accepted as we are, motivating us even more to provide a space for people that don’t feel like they fit anywhere else.
It’s safe to say Brick Road Coffee has become the heart and soul of the community we serve. Community is the foundation we are built on, and that has been proven in several ways. We’ve curated Coffee with the Candidates events where customers and neighbors can speak with local representatives and become more informed and empowered to use their voices to vote.
In 2022, we raised over $500 for Aunt Rita’s Organization for their annual Aids Walk event to spread awareness of HIV and Aids prevention. We regularly host free HIV testing and STD education events with Southwest Center for HIV/Aids at their coffee shop.
We partnered with the Tempe Public Library, which now hosts a monthly LGBTQ+ book club, Friend of Dorothy’s Book Club, in our cafe. Another great partner, Drag Story Hour Az, has hosted several Drag Queen Story Hour events at our shop. These events feature a local drag performer reading an LGBTQ+ book and provide an interactive experience that goes along with the book’s content for adults and children alike.
Since opening in the fall of 2021, we have given back to numerous organizations and continue to provide a safe space for local organizations to host fundraising, educational, and community-building events. The support we’ve received from the community is given right back by investing in partnerships with other small business owners and community members.
The success we’ve had as a neighborhood business is incredible. For our customers that can stop in and wait long, we offer online ordering for quick pick up or delivery through our website.
We recently expanded our retail business online, and customers can order our whole-bean coffee to be shipped anywhere in the country, not just locally. We also have an online merchandise store featuring custom Brick Road Coffee t-shirts, cups, tote bags, and more!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Be a paradox. Be risk-averse and adventurous at the same time. Ignore limitations but proceed with caution. Be determined to reach a goal, but flexible enough to go in a different direction. Respect your own limits but recognize that you don’t know your limits. You’ve probably heard it before: you must be a little crazy to open a brick and mortar.
It may not be obvious, but knowing when you need help and being willing to accept it is a skill many people never learn. No one can do everything independently, and people want to help. Know that others want you to succeed, and let them lend a hand. It’s not cheating to rely on other humans; cooperation is our greatest strength as a species.
Be kind and generous. Businesses don’t exist in a vacuum. Treat your employees as individuals with their lives, hopes, and dreams. Know your vendors and how their business works, and send them referrals when they earn your trust. Give time or space to local nonprofits if you can’t afford to give products or cash. Your business is part of a neighborhood. Act like it.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
There are lessons to be gained from every stage of life and every person you interact with. We have backgrounds in customer service, hospitality, banking, compliance, and more. We’ve picked up skills along the way from countless kind and generous teachers.
Mentors are everywhere. No businessperson should limit themselves to looking only to other business leaders for models of success. There is no single source of knowledge to point to, just as there is no single source of challenges. Other community-minded local businesses have been a great help and inspiration. Still, we’ve gained important insights on engaging, navigating hurdles and tackling business problems from local elected officials, non-profit leaders, and even our customers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brickroadtempe.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrickRoadCoffee
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brick-road-coffee/?viewAsMember=true
- Other: Instagram: @brickroadcoffee
Image Credits
Photos by staff and Gordon Murray, Flash Photo – Video
