After working in small and large businesses and making money for them, Justin Krebs decided he wanted to put his efforts into making money for himself.
“It was time to be my own boss,” said the owner of Sound and Fog, a new coffee shop/beer and wine bar soon to open in West Seattle. “I had a friend who got a business loan through Business Impact NW, so I got in touch and attended an orientation session.” (Orientation sessions are now called Square One.)
Justin met with a business coach from Washington Women’s Business Center and developed a business plan.
“Once we got the plan done, it was submitted to the financing department,” said Justin. “I got the green light from the loan officer, who said it looked viable but needed more work.”
After getting the rest of the information together, Justin was approved for a $100,000 loan that he is using for equipment, build-out of the space and operating expenses.
“Finding space was the hardest part,” said Justin. “Commercial rents are not cheap. I probably could have done a small, hole-in-the wall space just for coffee, but with a larger space, I had to add more.”
Once open, Sound and Fog will primarily be a coffee shop, but Justin will also serve high quality beer and have a wine bar. He’s considering offering wine by the bottle for retail sale as well.
Sound and Fog’s primary coffee supplier will be Olympia Coffee, and there will also be a rotating roaster featured each month. “The first one is Seattle’s Broadcast Coffee,” said Justin. “I’ll also be getting an international coffee each month for tasting—that coffee will only last about a week, depending on how popular it is with customers.”
While he plans to hire two to three employees in the first year, initially it will just be him working all the hours the shop is open as well as running the business.
“I want to create a place with a happy, fun attitude,” said Justin. “I’ll be trying new things—creating new drinks and having people try them.” He’s even considering making some of his own products such as sodas and tea on tap.
Construction began in April with opening expected at the end of June. Sound and Fog will be located at 4735 40th Avenue SW, in the Broadstone Sky apartment building.
About the author
Tina Christiansen
Fueled by large amounts of coffee and driven by the need to make communication clear, Write as Rain founder and wordsmith Tina Riss Christiansen is fulfilling her destiny. Long known for her voracious reading, Tina has turned a life-long love for words into a career. A graduate of the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in communications, Tina has also earned certificates in integrated marketing communications and in nonfiction writing, both from the University of Washington.