Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Steven Dalton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Steven, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea?
Since my first cafe mocha at the age of 12, I have dreamed of owning and operating a coffee shop “one day.” During high school and college, I worked on and off for a major international coffee brand while continuing to visit local coffee shops whenever possible. I started dreaming of, “If I owned this shop, I would…” enter whatever change or upgrade I wanted to do. In college, I travelled from Richmond, Virginia to Macon, Georgia to visit a friend (that’s a whole other story for another day!). During this trip I met Melissa, and a wonderful romance began (though I’ll often joke I “got stuck with her”). For two years, I would travel to Macon and visit Melissa and her friends. While visiting, we would regularly meet with friends at the local coffee shop commonly referred to as “J-Cup.” Melissa and I would banter about how we wanted to own a place like J-Cup “one day.” After getting married we began our respective professional careers- Melissa in elementary education and law enforcement for me. Eventually, we both ended up in public education.
In 2020, both of us were employed as public educators when the COVID-19 pandemic caused emergency school closings. We both worked full-time in education through the emergency closure, virtual teaching, and the transition to face-to-face learning- while having two elementary-aged sons navigating the same changes! The pandemic caused us to have frequent conversations about how we would provide for our family if a shutdown occurred again. We also talked about how to better cultivate a healthy, fulfilling family-life balance where our sons received the attention and care they deserved. For most of the pandemic the idea was just a family conversation.
It was during a baby shower in February 2021 that Melissa shared the joint coffee shop dream and family conversations with a group of friends. Those loving friends strongly encouraged her to pursue the dream- IMMEDIATELY. Melissa came home from the baby shower and shared the story with me. At this point, it was still a “one day” dream, but I had some leftover Christmas money and wanted to see if I could even roast my own coffee.
Using my Christmas money, I purchased a small, at-home coffee roaster that could roast about four ounces of coffee at a time. I started sharing my custom blends with family and friends just to see what people would say about it. Surprisingly, people were really enjoying the coffee blends! So much so, that one couple requested a full-sized bag to take on their honeymoon and another friend requested a bag of medium roast coffee as a gift for her dad on Father’s Day. All the support was a massive encouragement! This motivated us to purchase a larger electric roaster that could handle about one kilogram of coffee at a time. By the summer of 2021 I retrofitted the shed in our backyard and set out on a “hobby” of providing coffee to family and friends. Demand from family and friends continued to grow, so we decided to legitimize the “hobby” into a “side gig.”
Little did we know, but our county has very strict limitations on the types of businesses that can operate in private homes. Specifically, the county forbid the use of “ancillary” buildings for home-based occupations. This meant if we wanted to create a legitimate coffee roasting business, then we would need to lease a commercial space. While learning all the ins and outs of creating an official business, I jokingly posted a Facebook Marketplace ad for a used school bus that was converted into a mobile coffee roastery. I had no expectations anyone would take me serious, but Tim has a different thought. Tim, a fellow church member, sent me a private message offering to act as an investor or business partner if Melissa and I were serious about starting a legitimate coffee roasting business.
During the fall of 2021, the three of us had numerous conversations and began the hunt for a suitable space. Quickly, the idea of a mobile coffee roastery was crossed off the list. So our fledging company needed to find commercial space. We would also need an identity. Melissa and I saw the new company as a positive outcome of the ongoing pandemic. We also wanted to create something new and positive in Richmond, Virginia, a city heavily impacted by riots during the summer of 2020. While developing the company, Tim, Melissa, and I were drawn to the Latin word “Reviresco.” The term has multiple meanings, but we were especially fond of the meaning “to flourish again.” And so Reviresco Coffee Co. was born!
Getting the company on solid ground has not been an easy process. We had an original subleased location in a nearby restaurant. Unfortunately, that restaurant unexpectedly closed right before Christmas 2021. This left us looking for a new home. Fortunately, a local businessman happened to meet me the day Iwas packing the coffee roasting equipment for storage. The local businessman invited Reviresco Coffee Co. to sublease spot in his mixed use building very close to where Melissa and I live. As a team, Tim, Melissa and I worked with the local businessman to ensure his location allowed for the necessary food safety inspections and by March 2022, Reviresco Coffee Co. opened in our new home on Lakeside Avenue in Henrico County. The new location, which is home to the company’s new, larger roaster capable of handling six kilograms of coffee at a time, has allowed the company to continue growing.
By July 2022, the operations of Reviresco Coffee Co. have grown to the point that subleasing was no longer feasible for the long term. We are excited that we entered into a lease on our own building on Lafayette Street in the City of Richmond. Reviresco Coffee Co. is working with the City agencies to create a coffee roastery and tasting room at the Lafayette Street location. The tentative opening of the new location is early 2023.
Steven, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’ve loved coffee since my mom let me get my first cafe mocha from a mall coffee shop when I was 12. On and off through high school and college I was able to work for a major international coffee company as a barista and shift supervisor. While I pursued a career in law enforcement and investigations, I held onto the dream of owning a coffee shop “one day.” My professional career led me to a full-time teaching position, where I taught high school criminal justice through the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the pandemic, my wife, Melissa, and I founded Reviresco Coffee Co. with our friend Tim Bynum.
Reviresco Coffee Co. focuses on providing quality craft coffee that can be enjoyed by the everyday coffee drinker. Blends are created in which the natural flavors of each coffee are complimented by one another. The company also strives to be a positive impact on their community by dedicating portions of all sales to area nonprofits.
While the company is currently an online-based coffee roastery, we are building a new roastery and tasting room in Richmond, Virginia that should be open in early 2023.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Originally, the goal was to operate the coffee company as a home-based business in a remodeled shed. However, local zoning regulations forbid such an operation. This meant we had to find a commercial location with the appropriate food safety protocols in place. Reviresco Coffee Co. originally entered into a sublease with a local restaurant in October 2021. The company successfully obtained the necessary permits and began operating at the location. Unfortunately, the primary restaurant unexpectedly went out of business immediately before Christmas. This left Reviresco Coffee Co. stranded and, at no fault of our own, out of business. The company was determined to overcome this obstacle, and fortunately I met a local businessman with a desire to help our young company. While it seemed like an immediate match, the new business location actually lacked some of the necessary permits. Reviresco Coffee Co. worked with the local businessman to obtain the necessary permits and re-opened in March 2022. The company is continuing to grow and recently signed a lease on our own building. Again, based on the listing and initial review, the location appeared to meet all the zoning requirements. Unexpectedly, the new location did not have any of the correct zoning requirements. Instead of abandoning the new location, Reviresco Coffee Co. is working with city officials to obtain a Special Use Permit to open a new coffee roastery and tasting room.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Perhaps one of the most impactful books I’ve read thus far as a business owner is Jonathan Golden’s “Be You. Do Good.” Jonathan Golden is the founder of Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Company, a company I have enjoyed and respected for over a decade. In the book, Jonathan talks about his own adventure into owning a coffee company, but more importantly he talks about finding and following your calling. While it may sound like any other “self help” book, “Be You. Do Good.” is actually an insightful book about identifying how to have a positive impact on people and communities while doing quality work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.revirescocoffee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revirescocoffee/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/revirescocoffee
Image Credits
Meghan Balmer