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In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Anette Soto Landeros, co-owner of Casa Azul Coffee and President and CEO of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Fort Worth, Texas.
Casa Azul is the first and only coffee shop in Fort Worth’s Northside, which according to the latest census, has a 78 percent Hispanic population and is considered one of four Latino “Barrios” in Fort Worth. While residents had long been asking for a coffee franchise to open in their neighborhood, they were repeatedly told that they weren’t the target demographic. Anette and her husband were already considering opening a business in the neighborhood – but when they heard this, they knew their charge.
Today, you can find the appropriately named Casa Azul in a brightly painted cobalt-blue, aqua, and kelly green house in the heart of the Northside district. Serving Latin-inspired coffee and pastries such as pan dulce, conchas, churro lattes, matcha-coladas, and more, Casa Azul not only provides coffee to locals, but also unapologetically celebrates residents’ culture and heritage.
In their conversation, Matt and Anette discuss her path to entrepreneurship, how her experience in public policy informs her work, her thoughts on creating economic growth while lessening the impact of gentrification and displacement, and her advice for other business owners.
Listen to their conversation here.
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Stay tuned for next week’s episode featuring Jamie and Jerry Baker, co-owners of Trendy Teachers in Rome, Georgia.
See how Atlanta’s small business owners and corridor leaders are breaking barriers through the B3 initiative, building resilience, honoring legacy, and shaping inclusive growth.
Learn proven strategies for taking over a small business from other entrepreneurs who have successfully navigated business succession.
The USDA Rural Business Development Program brought coaching and peer learning opportunities to small business owners in Wyoming, Kentucky, and California. Here is how you can also develop a business development coaching program that supports Main Street businesses, providing them with technical skills and support networks for success.
