Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandru Spatariu.
Hi Alexandru, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Alex Spatariu. I am the owner of CoffeeTrend craft coffee bar in Houston TX. I am originally from Romania and have lived in 4 different states before settling in Texas. I was a college professor for 11 years teaching statistics in psychology and education. I always had the entrepreneurial spirit and founded a few different businesses with successes and failures. While in academia, there was an opportunity for online classes which allowed for travel and remote work. During my travels to Asia, Europe, Central and South America, I would go to small independent coffee shops or restaurants with a laptop to teach my classes and experience the local culture. That is what inspired me to open Coffeetrend. At the beginning of 2022 after 8 months of searching, I found the perfect spot, an empty room in an old small building on Braes Bayou at the edge of Meyerland in Houston, TX. It is right next to one of Houston’s bike trails and short bike ride from my home. After 1 year of dealing with approvals, city codes and a big financial strain CoffeeTrend opened in May of 2023. We have murals on the walls and different art pieces made by local artists. It is a cozy nook with a multicultural customer base. It is a reflection of my own experiences and the diversity of the world and Houston. With a focus on quality, we collaborate with other local businesses as much as possible for roasting, pastries, loose-leaf teas, and merchandise.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was not a smooth road at all. Bringing an old empty space up to restaurant code involved upgrading everything electrical, plumbing, and structural It ended up costing three times more than planned and took about a year to complete instead of couple months. That year was stressful and tiring dealing with permits, contracting the right people to do the work, and resetting when something did not go as planned. I am very thankful to family for the continous support.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We have coffees, smoothies, pastries, loose leaf teas, and a full bar with varied cocktails. Our patio is dog friendly, we have a bike pump, a bike by the trail, free wifi, and a small collection of books from the nearby public library. We have many regulars as well as visitors of this big metropolis. You can find more pictures and videos on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coffeetrendhtx/. We are open every day of the year because I believe people should always be able find a place to go and enjoy a drink and/or a pastry. We serve breakfast tacos from a nearby shop every morning. We invite people to stay and enjoy their drinks, read a book, play a board game, or hang out on the patio with their dog. I am proud of being a small neighborhood business, knowing our regulars, offering quality products at a reasonable price, and supporting other small local businesses as much as possible.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Do as much research as you can before starting the business, be open to spending 2 to 3 times as initially planned if you want to do it right, put the time in, and do not give up. Do not forget that once opened it needs to be operated properly as well so the work never really stops.
Pricing:
- most of what we offer is 4 to 10 dollars
Contact Info:
- Website: https://coffeetrendhtx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coffeetrendhtx/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/coffeetrend-houston?osq=Coffeetrend
