We recently connected with Coleen Speaks and have shared our conversation below.

Coleen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

My whole life is a risk. As a business owner you rely on yourself, your abilities to follow through and get it done. It can be very scary, isolating especially when not just supporting yourself but your family, and your employees. When I initially took the step to move from New Orleans and start my own catering/hospitality business(es), the first risk was the idea and leaving a stable job, then it was where I was going to do it. I ultimately choose Raleigh as it was an emerging market and felt like I could make a bigger impact in that area. After having a successful catering business for roughly 15 years, my next big leap was doing a brick and mortar restaurant, Hummingbird. The investment it took to open that business was terrifying and one of the largest risks of my entire life. I have put so much love, sweat and tears into this business and I was one of the lucky ones to be able to make it work and still going strong 8 years later as a staple restaurant in the community.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve always had a love for food and ultimately knew that hospitality was a passion of mine. I worked in restaurants growing up in Saint Louis, and when it came for college, what better place to develop that passion than New Orleans! I fell in love with the Crescent City’s culture, spirit and food scene, working with some of the top hospitality teams in the city all while getting an accounting degree from Loyola University. I knew I wanted to run a business and that in order to be successful in that, I would need to have a strong background in financial management.

My first business was a catering company, PoshNosh, and then a brick and mortar restaurant, Hummingbird, plus an event space, Whitaker & Atlantic. These businesses couldn’t be more different. They each require a unique set of skills.

For PoshNosh, we are basically setting up a mobile restaurant at each event. We start from scratch, bringing a restaurant into usually a completely unknown space with a lot of moving parts, trouble shooting and thinking on the fly. Menu items provided at a catering event can be completely different from what I might do at my brick and mortar restaurant. In catering, you have to be able to execute with less. My skillset is in offering a boutique catering service, each menu is uniquely curated to each events’ needs and occasion.

For Hummingbird, I wanted to create a white table cloth dining experience, but in a casual way. Elevated food in a more friendly, and welcoming setting. The space I created boasts a lot of character from the historic building I chose to work with, the interior highlights unique vintage flare, mixed with comfortable elements making it truly special place in our city of Raleigh, NC. The problems that can arise in a restaurant are endless and cover every category under the sun. Any restaurant owner is inherently a trouble-shooter, it is not for the faint of heart. You are constantly bombarded with staffing issues, supply chain issues, bureaucratic red tape, health regulations, technology, equipment, guest services, you name it! I’m proud that we’ve managed to achieve a solid fan base that has made it all worth it over these last 8 years.

I’m probably the most proud of how I’ve managed to maintain a solid core of employees that feel like family. I try to support them just as much as they help to support me and my business goals.

Additionally, for all my businesses I put quality over cost and profit. I first consider the best way to achieve a result, and what it would take to get there. I prioritize using the highest quality ingredients and resources, supporting local as much as possible, all while striving to consistently make a positive impact in our community through charitable contributions. Without those elements, I don’t understand what the whole point is.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

For PoshNosh, I was lucky enough to get a loan from a family member. For Hummingbird and W&A it was much harder and riskier to get what I needed to start those businesses. I put together a presentation and invited potential investors to come to listen to my pitch for these concepts. I did pop-ups and had a solid reputation through PoshNosh that ultimately built trust in the people that decided I was worth their investment.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I built my reputation by having high standards, using quality, local ingredients, and curating experiences more than just putting food on the table quickly.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hummingbirdraleigh.com | www.poshnoshraleigh.com | www.whitakerandatlantic.com
• Instagram: @hummingbirdral | @poshnoshraleigh | @whitakerandatlantic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hummingbirdral | https://www.facebook.com/whitakerandatlantic/ | https://www.facebook.com/PoshNoshRaleigh/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/whitaker-atlantic/? | https://www.linkedin.com/company/poshnosh-catering/? | https://www.linkedin.com/company/hummingbird-raleigh/?

Image Credits

Jamie Robbins