Today we’d like to introduce you to Karrie Laughton

Karrie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

My Paper Straw journey started back in 2018 after I watched the viral video of the sea turtle with the plastic straw stuck in it’s nose. It broke my heart and I swore to never to use a plastic straw again. At that point I had owned my bar, Lux Lounge, for 16 years and had been using plastic straws that entire time. Once I realized the damage I was contributing to our planet, I knew I had to do something to make it better.

I found a company that was making a decent paper straw that didn’t fall apart, but was waiting over 3 months for a delivery. At this point I realized that the demand for a good paper straw was pretty high, and the market just couldn’t deliver, so I decided to open my own factory. How hard could it be, right?

Little did I know that starting a factory not only cost an enormous amount of money, but it also takes a good chunk of time. But, we did it! We got loans, refinanced our homes, borrowed from family and managed to create a 10,000 square foot paper straw factory! We were so proud of ourselves! We were actually pulling it off. Until… covid.

We literally received our machines one week before the shut down. With no idea how to run them. With no help from the overseas company. And, no bars or restaurants ready to buy paper straws in the middle of a pandemic. It was a nightmare.

We eventually reached out to the mechanical engineering department at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) and was able to bring in a student to help us figure out the machines and get them up and running. Even though this was great and we were ready to take on the Paper Straw world, the pandemic really threw a wrench in our master plan. We were finally able to officially launch in September of 2022 after a long road of pitfalls, and are still slowly finding out footing.

On the bright side, we were able to take this time to perfect our product and we are proud to say we are without a doubt making the best paper drinking straw on the market. I will drink to that!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

To say it has been a bumpy road would be the understatement of the year. It’s been a road riddled with mud, boulders and land mines. The pandemic being the biggest struggle to navigate, in addition to learning a completely foreign business along the way. I am a bar owner by trade and didn’t know the first thing about starting a factory. My mother and business partner is a retired nurse, so we both have been figuring it out as we go.

There have been a lot of mistakes along the way, but we have learned from them and continued moving forward. We are a work in progress, but also extremely proud of how far we have come.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I come from a long line of creativity from both sides of my family, which I was lucky to inherit. I have always found beauty in the slightly strange and unusual, so my house is basically a mini museum of the weird. I went to school for photography and have a degree from RIT, but I found the commercial side of it a bit off-putting.

While in college I was also bartending, which I quickly fell in love with. It was fun, and social, and being a night owl, it was a perfect fit. I was continuing to work behind the bar along with taking on freelance photo jobs for a local magazine and a bunch of hometown bands & musicians. It was fun and I loved it, but there came a point where I needed to make a more “adult career decision”. I decided to put down my camera for a bit and open my own neighborhood bar, “Lux Lounge”, which would cater to the local weirdos, artists, and misfits. This let me have a creative outlet along with providing a social gathering spot for those folks that dance to the beat of a different drum.

It’s now been over 21 years and my bar is still thriving. It’s located in the heart of the South Wedge neighborhood in Rochester, NY, and has become the hub for open-minded butterflies to come and meet up with friends, sit by the fire pit, take in some cool bands, dance to the best vinyl DJ’s, play some pool, drink a Pabst Smear (can of PBR & a well shot), and bask in the backyard.

Lux has given me the chance to wear many creative hats, such as art curator, graphic designer, cocktail creator, party planner, interior decorator, music curator, band promoter, and of course, house photographer.

When I decided to start manufacturing paper straws back in 2018, I made sure to let the creative juices flow over to the factory as much as possible. We have mammoth straw chandeliers which we made to keep things fun and whimsical, along with giant hanging paper straw stars, and colorful straw murals painted on our walls. I do much of the design work and photography for our ads, online stores, website and social media. We also use a local artist to create many of the fun images for our novelty straws, so we are not just using generic clip art, which makes us stand out from our competitors.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?

When I’m able close my eyes and sleep through an entire night without waking up in a panic, that’s when I know I have succeeded. I want to be able to pay my bills, hire good staff, and have a little time to myself. If I can achieve those little milestones, I’m a happy lady. I have lived in my house for the past 18 years and have no desire to leave. I love my neighborhood, my friends, my backyard, and two doggies that have my heart. I don’t need much more. I just hope to keep growing the straw factory so I can help save the planet on some level, and also create more jobs for my community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rocpaperstraws.com. https://lux666.com.
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rocpaperstraws/ https://www.instagram.com/luxlounge666/ https://www.instagram.com/karrielux/.
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rocpaperstraws. https://www.facebook.com/luxlounge666/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RocPaperStraws
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RocPaperStraws