We recently connected with Brandon Carruth and have shared our conversation below.

Brandon , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

At Sleepyhead Coffee, our mission is to create a safe and welcoming environment for all people. Owned by two members of the LGBTQ+ community, we wanted ensure our space was comfortable for people from all walks of life regardless of your sexual orientation, race, religion, etc. We wear our mission loudly and proudly.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Sleepyhead Coffee was founded in September of 2018 as a coffee cart which operated until owners, Christian and I, found a space in the James Building in Downtown Chattanooga. Our flagship store opened in March 2019 where we have been serving the community since. Sleepyhead specializes in all things coffee from housemade syrups, seasonal drink menus, rotating coffees from our partner, Brandywine Coffee Roasters, and more! We also bake vegan and gluten free donuts in house which have become wildly popular, so popular that we’re working to expand our baking operations by adding a second shop in Chattanooga that features a full kitchen! At Sleepyhead we are 3 things: coffee, pastries, and plants. Although our plants aren’t for sale, we wove all of our passions into one and you’ll enjoy a highly plant populated space wherever we expand to, including our current downtown shop!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

We’re proud to be Chattanooga’s most followed coffee shop on Instagram! Social media is something that I really enjoy. I handle the marketing for the business which until recently, was just social media. When Christian and I created Sleepyhead we wanted to make everything an Instagram moment. We wanted it to be aesthetic both in the shop, but online as well. I love curating vibes and I think that’s key to success for businesses nowadays. My advice to others hoping to build a social media presence is to research trends, see what’s cool and what others are engaging with and make it work for you and your brand. Be specific and intentional too! Whether you own a restaurant or a law firm, there are ways to make both appealing online! For me, it’s all about vibes and colors, and branding. If you have solid branding, you’ll have a solid social media presence. Lastly, utilize tiktok and Instagram reels! If you don’t know how, learn. They are wonderful for small brands.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

We started with the dream, my extensive coffee experience, and Christian’s customer service and finance experience. The only thing we didn’t have was capital! Because we were passionate about our plan, we made it work. There are so many ways to find new businesses, but we didn’t know any at the time! We had 1 personal credit card that we used to buy the absolute bare minimum to start up. Thankfully we convinced our landlord of our plan and they allowed us to ease into our long term lease by “popping up” to test out our concept. Obviously it went well and we’ve grown into the Sleepyhead we are today. After nearly 2 years in business we were able to remodel and upgrade to the best equipment and create a space that fit our brand. There are many small business development centers that provide assistance and council on funding options so I certainly recommend that route for those starting their own businesses – something we would’ve done if we knew of it!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sleepyhead.coffee
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/sleepyheadchatt
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/sleepyheadchatt
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/EykIJZOXbvb

Image Credits
Photos by Brightside Creates & Casey Yoshida