Crystal Bennett has always dreamed of opening a coffee shop; she made it a reality when she opened Brew and Blossom Coffee Cart in December 2023. Located in Artisan Alley, a locally owned business that operated in Hopewell, Virginia, Bennett ran the coffee cart for six months to get a feel for running a business. When her lease ended, she realized she was ready to transition to a brick and mortar and Brew and Blossom Coffee Co was born.

The coffee shop opened in February and despite the shop and the coffee cart’s similarities, Bennett said there is more responsibility owning a staffed coffee shop.

“Staying organized and open to the needs of the staff and business can be a lot to juggle,” Bennett said, “but when everything is finally put together it’s such a wonderful feeling.”

Bennett runs her business full-time but on (some) weekends, she does event planning. Balancing those jobs and the coffee shop is difficult, which is why she has at least one day for rest and resetting.

Keep reading for Bennett’s business advice for newbies, how she came up with the name for her coffee shop, and more!

1. How did you come up with the name?

The name was the hardest part of starting the business for me. I knew everything about the business before I picked a name, [but] I knew I wanted florals to be a big part of the business and this was the name I just kept going back to.

2. What advice would you give to someone who wants to run their own business?

I always say “things are going to look ugly before they look beautiful.” If you walk in on a painter who is in the middle of painting their canvas, then it will probably be messy and unshaded; you wouldn’t look at it and say it was beautiful, but the painter sees the vision and knows the beauty they’re working to create even if it doesn’t look right yet. I say that to say [if] you have a beautiful dream and you can complete it, … it will take time and might not look the way you planned when you first opened, [but] everyday you put into it is another day closer to seeing your vision come to life.

3. What has been the customer response since transitioning to a coffee shop?

The community has been coming out to support since I opened my doors and I couldn’t be happier. I’m so grateful for how welcoming and excited everyone has been.

4. What’s on the menu? How do you come up with the menu? 

Coffee, hot chocolate, croissant sandwiches, bagels and pastries. I tried to listen to what people wanted and also added my favorites when creating the menu.

5. If you were a customer at Brew and Blossom Coffee Co, what would you order from the menu? What’s your most popular item?

I would order our white chocolate raspberry latte. It is one of my favorite drinks and definitely a fan favorite.

6. What are your goals for Brew and Blossom Coffee Co? 

I have so many plans for the future – including fun events and expanding the menu – but I am most excited to be hosting our Flower season this summer. This will include floral drinks, fun treats and more surprises to come.

7. How would you describe Brew and Blossom Coffee Co and is there anything else you want people to know about your coffee shop?

Brew and Blossom is a cozy floral themed cafe with sweet treats and addicting coffee. [Though] we have only been open for a few weeks, we [are] constantly growing and look forward to interacting with our community in fun and exciting ways.

Brew and Blossom Coffee Co is located at 101 S Main St, Hopewell, VA 23860, and their hours are Tuesday to Friday 7 am to 1 pm and Saturday 8 am to 2 pm. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram!