Cold Creek Coffee Company Opens in Castalia, Ohio

With the July 1 opening of their Cold Creek Coffee Company in Castalia, Ohio, Owners Shannon and Brad Wilson have created a place for friends and neighbors to gather.

“We wanted to host a spot where folks could communicate over coffee,” said Brad Wilson. “There’s really no other place in town for that.”

Learning to Open and Run a Coffee Shop

While the Wilsons love coffee, conversation and community service, they lacked experience in running a coffee business. Shannon Wilson has worked as a kindergarten teacher, while Brad is a police officer. 

“I tend to be a go-getter,” said Shannon, who serves as manager for the new shop. “I just jump in with both feet and go for it.” 

To learn how to open a coffee shop, the couple turned to Crimson Cup.

“Congratulations to Shannon, Brad and their team at Cold Creek Coffee Company,” said Founder and President Greg Ubert. “As their coffee partners, we’re excited to help their local, independent coffee shop thrive now and in the years to come.”

Following the 7 Steps to Success

Shannon and Brad learned about Crimson Cup through other Ohio coffee shops that opened through our 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program.

They visited Boomtown Coffee in Sandusky, Gathering Grounds Coffee House in Huron and Sheri’s Coffee House in Norwalk, Ohio.

“We love the business model and having a guide to walk us through the process,” Shannon said.

The 7 Steps program is based on Greg’s book, Seven Steps to Success: a Commonsense Guide to Succeed in Specialty Coffee. Through this proven coffee shop startup system, we have helped over 200 entrepreneurs in 30 states achieve their dream of owning a profitable coffee shop.

Even during the 2020 pandemic, our team helped 19 entrepreneurs open new coffee shops. At least another 20 shops are on schedule to open in 2021.

A One-stop Shop for Supporting Independent Coffee Shop

As a one-stop shop for independent coffee shops, Crimson Cup supplies award-winning coffee, coffee business expertise and industry leading coffee shop supplies.

“We give new coffee shop owners everything they need to succeed,” Greg said. “We offer everything you’d receive from a coffee shop franchise – and more – without expensive franchise fees or royalties.”

From writing a strong coffee shop business plan to hands-on barista training and much more, the 7 Steps team guides new coffee shop owners from initial concept through opening day and beyond.

Hands-on Training Pays Off

Shannon said Crimson Cup’s training was a big plus. “We could have fumbled through the other things on our own, but I would have really botched it if left to my own devices.

“We loved the flavor of the coffee, but knowing someone would be there to help us sealed the deal.”

7 Steps Trainer Steve Bayless conducted intensive, on-site training for the Wilsons and their baristas in the week leading up to Cold Creek’s opening.

“Having Steve on site to walk us through the process and conduct training made opening so much easier,” Brad said. “Not having to fend for ourselves gave us confidence that we could do this!”

Crimson Cup Coffee Keeps Customers Coming Back

According to Shannon, customers love the Crimson Cup coffee. “Even the drinks they’ve never tried before are great. They’re talking about it all over social media.”

The most popular drink is the signature Cold Creek Mocha, a white chocolate mocha with caramel drizzle and whipped cream that’s served hot, iced and frozen.

Looking back on opening week, Brad offered this advice for other prospective coffee shop owners:

“Don’t be afraid to allow Crimson Cup to help you believe you can do it! It’s been an amazing experience, and we’re excited to serve our community by partnering with Crimson Cup.”

Cold Creek Coffee Company is open six days a week at 119 Main Street in Castalia, Ohio. To keep up with events and announcements – including the shop’s Grand Opening celebrations – follow the store’s Facebook page.