Welcome to Grizzly Brew Coffee
Grizzly Brew Coffee is an on-campus coffee shop + eatery serving a variety of drinks, pastries, and breakfast/lunch items to students and staff alike. Located on the bottom floor of the ATC building on the corner across from the main entrance, this establishment has been serving students at Gulf Coast for the past few years.
Meet The Owner: Antonio Lopez
I have spoken to owner Antonio Lopez, a 32-year-old Gulf Coast, and FSU PC alumni graduate, who told me about how exactly his business came about. “My whole goal, for like everything, was to be in a restaurant styled shop . . so when Gulf Coast called and said ‘Hey, we want you on our campus- we have a spot for you” it was like a dream come true.”
A Humble Beginning
Antonio told me about his startup, and how it came from basically nothing to the double-campus setup it is today. “My very first bag that I sold, I sealed it with a hair straightener.” He then explained how it would usually take about 15 minutes to grind a 12oz bag, due to the limited equipment he was working with. “But now, I have the same grinders that Starbucks has. I’ve really bootstrapped it all the way to where we’re at.” Antonio originally pitched this idea of a company as part of his entrepreneurship program at FSU Panama City (from which he graduated in 2019). He had a vision of selling uniquely blended coffee. “Honestly, we were all skeptical. Like, it’s probably not gonna work” he told me.
Road To Success
His initial approach was centered around selling bags of coffee at local farmer’s markets and eventually catering coffee to events. His menu would slowly evolve to include pastries. The 1st big break in this timeline came when the dean of FSU PC offered him a spot on campus to open up for his business. After that, the same offer came up for Gulf Coast State College. It was here that Antonio began to expand the business from just coffees. He stressed to me about the fact that they now sell a variety of food, items that he describes as “real food, not concessions”. Along with your expected coffee, the café sells an assortment of lunch items on a constantly updating menu.
More Than Coffee
Antonio spoke about one of the biggest misconceptions that he faces with his business is that (due in part to the “coffee” in the name) Grizzly Brew sells more than just coffee and coffee related drinks. I asked him about the transition from unique blends to a full food menu; he answered, “I pivoted to go where the need was, and that is what’s important about being an entrepreneur.”
Living The Dream
Antonio reflected to me on how impactful college had been to him in starting his business, “I got my GED when I was 15 – uneducated as can be. But I went to college, all the professors believed in me, I pushed myself, and now I’m living my dream that I’ve had since I was like 7.” Being a former FSU and Gulf Coast graduate himself, he says it’s special to be able to serve in this capacity at the same school that he once attended. He now wants to use his business to help other students: “It’s so much more than just a business. My goal is to one day use it to give scholarships to students, or to have a place where students can work while they go to college. I really want to be involved in the college system because this all started because I went to college.”
Giving Back To The Community
Along with scholarships, Antonio described how he wanted Grizzly Brew Coffee to be a point of rest for students. He emphasized how important the community aspect was in his business, how one of his biggest influences in starting was “wanting people happy”, and how he wanted to create a place that “students could enjoy coming to.” On top of that, Antonio told me of another service for his college-located operation: “I would love for this business to be the project that other students use. Like, if you’re doing a journalism piece, run a story on us. You’re doing videos, like create a video on us. You’re talking about marketing, well market us. Use us as a real real-world application for everything that’s going on in the college.” Antonio certainly believes in his company and what it can accomplish. He has a strong goal of giving back and helping others through his own success. “I’m not trying to get rich. I really believe in what my goal is and that is just to give back to the community and create those scholarships and everything- that’s what I care about.” he told me.
Future Business Endeavors
I asked Antonio where he saw himself and his business in the next 5 years; he replied, “I would like to branch this out to other small college campuses. I want to recreate the ‘homie’ and welcoming feeling that we’ve crafted here in other small colleges that could use it as well.”
Contact Information
Grizzly Brew Coffee is open Monday-Thursday from 7:30am-3:00pm. They offer walk-in and online ordering as well as catering and curbside pickup. For more information or to order online, visit https://www.grizzlybrewcoffee.com/. Contact them at: 850-769-1551 ext. 4011 info@grizzlybrewcoffee.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Seth Johnson
Student Author - Fall 2020
