When Brad and Angie Barber made their dream of opening a coffee shop a reality, they didn’t stop there.
The journey began in 2001. After picking up coffee and bagels at a coffee shop while traveling through Des Moines, the couple realized their town didn’t have something comparable, even though it had a bustling downtown that was extra busy during the summer tourism months.
After more than a year of learning, planning, and building, Cabin Coffee opened its doors in their small town of Clear Lake, Iowa on December 6, 2002.
The new business gave the couple a chance to put roots down in the town they loved. It also gave the community a place to enjoy fresh-roasted coffee, a bite to eat, and most importantly, a place to meet friends, relax by the fireplace, host small group meetings, special events, and more.
“Even as we were navigating the process with our first Cabin Coffee, we never thought of just having one store. Our whole dream when we opened was to have additional locations,” says Brad. “It’s not about me. It’s about creating; creating jobs, creating commerce, and creating opportunities for people.”
By the end of 2005, their next dream had been achieved. The Barbers had opened a Cabin Coffee in nearby Mason City and were approached about franchise opportunities.
The first franchise location opened in St. Charles, Minnesota in November 2007. Fast forward to today, and Cabin Coffee is now in 21 communities, and steady growth continues with more locations planned over the next five years. Brad credits the unique appeal of Cabin Coffee for its growth.
“We’ve really grown because it’s the folks that come into a store and enjoy our coffee, environment, the on-site roasting, and become interested in a franchise.”
The on-site roasting is a key differentiator for Cabin Coffee from other coffee shops, yet the idea for it came about after the Barbers had set their business plans in motion.
“Angie did all the research and work finding all the products, furniture, fixtures, and equipment. She ordered several different coffees from different coffee roasters and tried them all,” says Brad. “Then one day she went to the grocery store to buy the coffee that she always bought. She drank that coffee and she realized how terrible it really was compared to fresh roasted coffee. So, she says to me, ‘Brad, we’re going to have to find a roaster and roast our own beans, because we want to provide customers with fresh roasted coffee.”
The Barbers updated their business plans to include a “Roastin’ House” in each Cabin Coffee location. The small room houses a coffee bean roaster and is designed with windows so customers can see the small batch roasting in action.
While the Roastin’ House is part of each Cabin Coffee store, franchisees can choose other design features for their store, ranging from a Kids Korral to hitching posts. And while the western theme is evident throughout, Brad says flexibility is still key.
“It’s a unique design and brand we have, with the stars and western twist. A lot of people think, ‘Well, gosh, would that go over in Florida?’ Yes, it would go over in Florida—we may just have a little more stucco on the building. But the inside’s still going to look like a cabin. Everybody loves a cabin, you know, that warm and cozy feel.”
That willingness to blend franchising and flexibility has been a key to the success of Cabin Coffee in communities from small towns like Rice Lake, Wisconsin to larger suburban areas like Waterloo, Iowa. The company’s 21 stores span across seven states.
In 2019, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) named Brad and Angie Iowa’s 2019 SBA Small Business Persons of the Year.
“The most rewarding part of all of this is seeing how much people enjoy their local Cabin Coffee, says Brad. “Regardless of the size of the market, we often hear customers call it ‘our Cabin Coffee’ and there’s nothing better than feeling we’re part of their community.”
