ABOUT THE FUND
TheMain Street Entrepreneurs Seed Fund supports Georgia State student entrepreneurs, recent alumni and Georgia State community entrepreneurs with seed funding and mentorship to start and grow new ventures.
BUZZ COFFEE AND WINEHOUSE
PROBLEM
Southwest Atlanta has suffered from a lack of services and no community gathering spaces
SOLUTION
We provide premium coffee and wine, best in class service, and aim to provide a cultural experience for our community through art, music, spoken words, and much more
BUSINESS MODEL
Brick and mortar independent coffee shop combined with art and wine sales
TARGET MARKET
The Southwest Atlanta community
KEY COMPETITORS
Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds
USE OF FUNDS
90% Marketing and Advertising,
10% Talent Recruitment
What is your long-term goal? For you? For the company?
My goal for BUZZ Coffee and Winehouse is to continue to grow revenue and to serve other underserved communities in the southwestern part of Metro Atlanta. I also hope to be a catalyst for other businesses to invest in these neighborhoods.
How has your company pivoted from its initial launch?
With COVID-19, we had to think of alternatives to stay afloat during the shutdown. We began selling retail wine and holding virtual wine tastings. The virtual tastings gave us an opportunity to have winemakers from all over the world join our customer base to talk about their wines. We have continued these virtual tastings and now have reopened our dining room for our patrons.
What does entrepreneurship mean to you?
Entrepreneurship means building better communities.
Have you always been entrepreneurial?
I can’t say that I have always been entrepreneurial, but I have always been a problem solver. Seeing a problem in my neighborhood instilled an entrepreneurial spirit that perhaps wasn’t there when I started.
What advice can you offer to entrepreneurs?
Plan for the unexpected, and expect not to have planned for everything.
FOUNDER INTERVIEW
ABOUT THE FUND
The Marcus Foundation supports Georgia State student entrepreneurs, recent alumni and Georgia State community entrepreneurs with seed funding and mentorship to start and grow new ventures.