We recently connected with Emilie & Joshua Mentrup and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Emilie & Joshua, thanks for joining us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?
As restaurant owners, COVID-19 was one of the most unexpected issues to come up for the entire industry in our lifetime. We’re located a little hidden away inside an office building, which meant that we went from about 150 customers per day to about five since all the offices around us were ghost towns from one day to the next.
Initially, like everyone else, we panicked a little, not knowing what to do. During that time, our little breakfast spot was called Carthay Cafe, taken from the previous owners and we knew that we had to do something or we were going to have to go back home (we’re both here on a visa and this business is what allows us to stay in the US).
We tried everything to stay afloat and help the community. We practically lived in the cafe from 5 AM to 5 PM just to get any customers that walked by. We made meal deliveries in the neighborhood after work, and prepped whole family meals to be distributed. We sourced masks, both locally and internationally, alongside sanitizer, tissue paper, and more to donate to hospitals.
Ultimately, after knowing this could take a while, we decided we had to pivot, or else the store wouldn’t survive. That’s when we came up with the concept of Stella Coffee. During about 8 months of brainstorming, designing, creating menus, redesigning, renovating, and building furniture (almost everything at Stella is somehow DIYed), Stella Coffee first opened its doors on August 3, 2020 and so far, it seems like people are enjoying it.
Emilie & Joshua, 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?
We are Josh (human), Emilie (human), & Ralphie (floof) and we’re the proud creators of Stella Coffee (well, Ralphie didn’t do that much).
TL;DR — Josh and Em couldn’t escape the universe pulling them together and finally decided to get married & build a business. After almost drowning in debt during the pandemic, Stella Coffee was born. Stella Coffee will always be formed by the fact that it was conceived during the pandemic – we will always be hungry for the connection with our community & the resilience of humanity.
In 2018, we sold our apartment and purchased a business (then called Carthay Café). It didn’t look very nice, but with some elbow grease it started to look better. For two years we operated Carthay Café and during that time we made many mistakes and in the process learned about ourselves and running a business.
Much like a tidal wave crushing everything ashore, the pandemic hit the hospitality industry—hard. We decided our only chance was to rebrand. Emilie’s sister had made it clear that the next dog anyone in the family were to get should be a Frenchie. At the same time, we knew someone who named their daughter Stella and fell in love with the name. And then we realized that Stella was our baby. And thus, Stella the Frenchie was “born.”
We are passionate about four things: GREAT FOOD, GREAT COFFEE, GREAT HUMANS AND SHUTTING DOWN EVERY SINGLE KILL SHELTER.
The first three you’ll see when you come in store and the last one you can help us with by shopping our collection!
Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?
As a matter of fact, there are still weeks where we’re cutting it rather close when it comes to being able to afford payroll. Balancing menu pricing with trying to pay our employees fairly is a tough act, especially when your employees are starting to make far more money than you.
Owning a restaurant is truly living on the edge of whether you get to stay another month in business or not. We’re relying heavily on our community and try to give back as much as we can.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
No compromises and keeping things consistent. Josh is a stickler for perfection (he’s German after all) and delivering a constantly great experience has been the most important thing ever since we opened our doors. Although he probably shouldn’t, Josh takes every review very personal (both positive and negative), which can put a slight strain on your marriage.
Everyone can serve great coffee and great food, but what we want at Stella is for everyone who comes through those double glass doors to have an amazing experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stellacoffeela.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellacoffeela
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stellacoffeebh/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stella-coffee/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/stella-coffee-beverly-hills-los-angeles
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stellacoffeela