Melissa Villanueva of Brewpoint Coffee on Creating Avenues for Café Owners of Color - Entrepreneur

Signing out of account, Standby…
Interview with Brewpoint Coffee CEO and Founder Melissa Villanueva about balancing community and larger ambitions, creating opportunities for people of color, and equity and inclusion in business.
Being Both Hyper Local & Hyper National – Melissa Villanueva prefers coffee shops without drive thrus to harbor the feel of local community. However, she is inspired by Chip and Joanna Gaines and hopes for Brewpoint Coffee to mimic the famous duo’s national notoriety and simultaneous small town soul.
A Core of Equity and Inclusion – Melissa Villanueva has built Brewpoint Coffee on a specific set of core values. These days, those values have evolved to include equity and inclusion in every facet of the company.
Cultivate More Cafe Owners – Representation Matters. Melissa Villanueva represents a litany of minority demographics in the cafe space, but she has plans to make Brewpoint Coffee a place to cultivate more cafe business owners of color.
***
“If I was to say there were two words I would want my ecosystem to be defined by, it’s a system that is equitable and a system that’s inclusive.”
Melissa Villanueva is the CEO and Founder of Brewpoint Coffee and author of “Starting and Running a Coffee Shop”. Like the title to her book and her quote above suggests, she has aspirations to grow Brewpoint Coffee and teach other people of color how to effectively find their way in the café space.
Villanueva’s personal journey to open a coffee shop mimics the trajectory of Brewpoint’s growth from a shop to a company.
“While I was out in the Philippines during the self-discovery trip, I ended up dreaming about opening a coffee shop someday because it’s a great way to build a community,” Villanueva says on the Restaurant Influencers podcast hosted by Shawn P. Walchef of CaliBBQ Media. “Ended up coming back from the Philippines, found this coffee shop on Craigslist, ended up buying it with it within a month.”
Just that quickly, Villanueva and her then boyfriend, now husband, were in business.
Always the dreamer, Villanueva jumped headfirst into the venture with the idea of incremental improvement. Her blissful ignorance, or self proclaimed “delusion”, of what it took to run a coffee business allowed her to act on her dreams. Unlike most business owners, though, she was more interested than simply generating income.
“At the core of it was because I had amazing staff that I wanted to see if they could have a career in coffee,” Villanueva says of her initial motivation behind expansion. “I started dreaming about, okay, let’s have a second space. And can the second space be a place that we roast coffee and we have a second cafe within this? We could have enough cash flow to justify higher wages to be able to have a career in coffee.”
Brewpoint’s core values continue to evolve as the company evolves. Drawing inspiration from famous real estate couple Chip and Joanna Gaines, Villanueva wishes to grow Brewpoint Coffee while remaining true to the core value of community. In addition, it has become increasingly important for the coffee company to harbor an environment that is inclusive and equitable from top to bottom, and look internally to ask the right questions that ensure the plan is being executed.
Now eight years in, Villanueva is no longer delusional about starting a business, but remains as bold as ever in her endeavors. One thing is for sure, Villenueva and Brewpoint have made their mark in the Greater Chicago area and have plans of taking their ideas global by empowering others to embark on their own journeys.
***
NOMINATE A RESTAURANT INFLUENCER — Do you know someone who is killing it on social media? Let us know by emailing

in*********@ca*****.media

or sending the @calibbqmedia team a DM on social media.
ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:
Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.
Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.
The CEO and founder of Big City Readers talk about why she’s on a mission to make reading fun for kids and their parents. Plus, what to do if you’re afraid to take a leap in your career.
Interview with Brewpoint Coffee CEO and Founder Melissa Villanueva about balancing community and larger ambitions, creating opportunities for people of color, and equity and inclusion in business.
Mental rehearsal is a powerful psychological technique that’s used by athletes, billionaires, and entrepreneurs to achieve their goals.
Media trainer Jessica Abo reveals her go-to production tips so you can feel more confident for your next on-air appearance, pitch, or presentation.
Interview with Chicken Meets Rice co-founder Shone Tran about pulling inspiration from tragedy, taking small steps, and thriving in business with your best friend.
Here are six steps you can take to amplify your energy and grow your income.
The Founder and CEO of Scout’s Agency shares why a “podcast tour” is the new PR strategy for thought-leaders.
Interview with Mate Society founders about authentic online connections, making money in the creator economy, and choosing the right brand deals.
In this video, Ben Angel shows you how to improve your focus and do more with your time.
The CEO of Top Score Writing discusses how she founded her curriculum company and the lessons learned along the way.
Interview with Super Taco Mexican Restaurants Founder Julian Cervantes about starting a business with little knowledge, having a Plan B, and balancing family and work.
Discover the seven indicators of success no one is talking about.
Dr. Madeline Sterling shares how she’s working to improve the lives of home health aides and their patients. Plus, her advice on other researchers trying to pioneer a new space in their field.
Interview with the CEO Fabio Viviani about how culture should be the number one goal for any business, finding — and using — celebrity, and learning to stick to a specific system.
The No.1 productivity killer is brain fog. Here are Ben Angel’s tips for beating brain fog and boosting focus.
Whether you need advice on how to get your business off the ground or you’re just looking for inspiration, our video series have something for everyone. Browse our library below to find a series that speaks to you and your interests.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
The latest news, articles, and resources sent to your inbox.
I understand that the data I am submitting will be used to provide me with the above-described products and/or services and communications in connection therewith.
Read our privacy policy for more information.
Copyright © 2022 Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved.