We were lucky to catch up with Ahmad Alzoukani recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ahmad, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love for you to start by sharing your thoughts about the pros and cons of family businesses.

Mint Coffeehouse is very much a family business. My wife and I have started and continue to run the business together. Now, our toddler spends most of her days at our coffee shop as well. We love being able to work together and spend so much of our days together. Working with your spouse/family certainly is not without its challenges, but we have found the benefits and joys far outweigh the challenges and difficulties. We hope that our daughter will continue to grow up with the business and run it one day.

Ahmad, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Ahmad Alzoukani. I grew up in Damascus, Syria in a big family, and I am the youngest of 10 children. Growing up in such a big family it was impossible to have your own things, even your own bed. As 10 siblings, all the brothers used to sleep in one room and all the sisters in another room so there was no space that was your own. I started working when I was only 6 years old helping my friends wash buildings to help my family. From that point on, I had to keep working and finding new jobs while also going to school to support my family and help my parents feed us all. It was hard for girls to work in our culture so my brothers and I worked extra because my sisters couldn’t.

When the civil war started in my country, I had to leave to a safer place with better opportunities for my future. I got the chance to come to the United States in 2015. I was lucky more than the others because not many people get this opportunity. I have heard a lot about the American Dream, which I feel that I am living every day. I want to be honest, that I just realized this opportunity is not easy and doesn’t happen to everyone who was not born in the US. So I am very grateful that I am here and am sharing my story.

When I first came to the US, I came with almost nothing. I barely spoke a few words in English and had no money. I started working as a barista at Refuge Coffee Company, and I learned all my coffee skills there. But I realized that to reach my dream, I have to work harder, and since I am an immigrant that did not grow up in this country, there is more work for me. After spending over 5 years working for other people, I finally started my own business: MINT COFFEEHOUSE.

My goal is to help refugees and immigrants and support our community. I have learned that to enjoy the life here you need to help others reach their dreams, because I feel that many people have helped me get where I am today. As an immigrant business owner, every little bit I can do makes a difference for someone.

When I started Mont Coffeehouse in 2021, we began with just a small trailer and one simple espresso bar. Now, we have 2 coffee trucks, multiple espresso bars, and a storefront! Our shop, which just opened in August, combines my Syrian culture with American culture to create a welcoming Middle-Eastern inspired coffee shop that is spacious and comfortable. We want everyone, of every age, to feel welcome and enjoy their visit. We even have toys available for our youngest customers to enjoy.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

We have found that word of mouth has been our most effective means of growing our clientele for our catering business. We work really hard to provide good service to our customers. From our first contact with a potential client, we strive to communicate quickly and effectively, we keep our prices reasonable, and we aim to provide the best service to every customer. When we do this, we help take stress off the event hosts and provide an enjoyable experience for all guests. If we do a good job, everyone leaves happy. We have found that while we do have people who have randomly found us searching online, we get a large number of new clients from recommendations of previous customers or people who have been served by us. Basically, providing great service alongside good products helps us get referrals from customers and build our clientele. This also applies to growing our positive reviews on Google. Customers who have experienced great service are more likely to write reviews for you, which has been a huge help in new clients being willing to take a chance on our services.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My cofounder is my wife, Marianna. Coffee has played a unique role in each of our lives. Coffee is an essential part of my Syrian culture and Marianna has similarly found joy in sharing time and space with people over a cup of coffee. But coffee has also played a central role in our shared story. It was when I was managing a coffee shop and Marianna was searching for coffee-based study spots that our paths crossed. The early stages of our relationship involved countless hours working alongside each other at the coffee shop and helping each other with our work. Eventually, Marianna even began working at the coffee shop herself and learning what goes into a coffee business.

With coffee such an integral part of our story, it only made sense that when we decided to get married in 2019, the wedding would be at the same coffee shop where we met. We also knew as we looked to our future and how to best support our family that starting our own coffee business was the answer. As we continue to grow Mint Coffeehouse, we not only love what we do, but we love that we get to do it together! Now, our toddler is even a part of the business as our #1 greeter at our coffee shop! It is truly a family business, and we love that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mintcoffeehouse.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mintcoffeehousega/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mintcoffeehousega
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mint-coffeehouse
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mint-coffeehouse-tucker-2