If you’ve ever ventured into the quaint downtown of Greer, SC, you’ve probably discovered a few of its hidden gems – Wild Ace Pizza, Stomping Grounds Coffeehouse, Abbott’s Custard, and a plethora of antique stores. As of April 3, there’s a new gem on the block, well, on the Alley.
Imagined, designed, and owned by Taylors-Greer native, Andrew Carter, 22, Barista Alley is the fresh, new coffee spot and smoothie bar in #yeahthatgreenville. Carter attended Greenville Tech Charter until the age of 16, after which he decided school wasn’t quite for him and received his “good enough diploma.” After working his way through the restaurant industry, two years of blacksmithing, and a sales position with BMW, Carter had recognized his deep love of coffee, a milky, black bean-water love he’s been drinking since he was a baby, and decided it was time to take the leap into entrepreneurship.
But why Greer? “For the community,” Carter says, “for putting smiles on people’s faces every day. For giving a place to all kinds to spend time and enjoy a good cup of coffee.” With full morning and evening hours, Barista Alley gives a third space to the on-the-go businessman that needs a boost in the morning, the afternoon pause to the mom running errands, the focus to the local high school and college students while studying, and a relaxing atmosphere to friends who want to catch up.
The décor of Barista Alley is modern, minimalist, and beautiful – copper bar tops designed and built by Andrew from his years of blacksmithing, art and plants curated from local studios, exposed brick and large, well-lit windows, modern furniture, and classic lighting – all allowing for the perfect ‘gram of their barista’s top notch latte art. (You better hashtag that #greenville360!) To top it off like whipped cream on an iced latte, all the coffee and ingredients are sourced from local farmers and roasters or made in–house, #supportlocal.
Carter’s greatest fear while counting down the days to the grand opening was, “What if no one shows up?” But, we’re rounding the base of one month of open doors, and business is booming. With such great success already, Carter and his team have some exciting things in the works to look forward to. Expected this month into early June, Barista Alley will host live, local music on weekends. The performances will be fully acoustic (aka no microphones) so conversation and studying will be complimented, yet uninterrupted. Which we appreciate because there’s nothing like looking forward to a warm, soulful cup of joe and screaming at your counterpart how stressful driving on Wade Hampton was.
Soon to come, morning yoga classes hosted by a certified yoga instructor that you can follow up with one of Barista Alley’s fully organic fruit smoothies. Now, I can get down with that dog. Speaking of dogs, Barista Alley is fido-friendly, so bring the doggo’s and doge’s along for the attention they deserve. (Trouble meeting women? Well, anyone, really. Get a cute dog, people will flock to you.)
Along with these great events, Barista Alley is also offering a new line of gourmet teas, dreaming up some specialty cocktails, and printing some really sweet swag of stickers, cups, hats, and more. There’s talk of matte black with copper detail, it’s going to be swanky.
Even though no set plans have been laid, Carter is definitely interested in opening a second location in the Downtown Greenville area. “The first jump is very likely to open up the next steps, almost always,” says Carter of opening his first business. “It doesn’t matter what age you are, if you want to own your own business or chase a big dream, just do it. The headache to get it to float is worth it. Don’t be afraid to go all out.”
Greenville is becoming more and more a place to young entrepreneurs like Andrew, and his advice to them is this, “If you’ve never seen the movie We Bought a Zoo, watch it. Everything that Matt Damon’s character experiences, you will experience – doubting, excitement, fear, support, actually throwing up. All of it. Every bit of that was me with Barista Alley.” Despite facing usual issues of opening a business like coordination of schedules, finding the right location, sticking to the plan, Carter claims that “patience is the hardest part,” which is no surprise, being it a trait many of us struggle with on a daily basis. (Do the words “Woodruff Road” ring a bell?)
Other honorable mentions of advice include, “Pacing yourself; if you don’t limit the hours you work in the day, you will make yourself physically ill.” (This is where that thing called patience comes in.) “Let go a little. Don’t micromanage. Trust your team; most of the time this is their livelihood as much as it is yours.” Happy, successful teammates make for a happy, successful business. (Logic, it’s a cool thing.)
So, next time you’re in the Greer area, be sure to grab a cup to go whilst you check out all the antiques and boutiques, or take a break and enjoy a cup in-house with sweet tunes from the modern record player. (Latte pics or it didn’t happen.) Winter, Summer, Spring, or Fall, Barista Alley is definitely the coffee place to be #hereingreer.
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