Startup St. Bernard Finalist The Coffee House Celebrates Recent Expansion

October 20, 2016 (St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana): The Coffee House, a locally owned small business, has quickly become a staple of the neighborhood with the sleek renovation of its interior and a consumer centered philosophy. Established with a mission based deeply in community, The Coffee House takes pride in providing a space for friends to meet, businesses and colleagues to discuss, and relationships to be built.

The renovation included an expansion of their drive-thru operations with a 30 seat gathering space including workspaces with Wi-Fi access, conversational areas, and a grab-and-go bar.

Shortly after opening in June 2015, The Coffeehouse competed as a finalist in Startup St. Bernard, an annual pitch competition presented by the Meraux Foundation and the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation (SBEDF) in partnership with Idea Village during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. Finishing as a runner-up, owners Brett Thompson, Matt Williams, and Matt Woodward pressed on to grow their business and deliver on their promise to meet the needs of the community.

“Startup St. Bernard was an awesome team-building experience for us and we gained a lot of exposure and traction through the competition” explained Brett Thompson; Owner and Manager at The Coffeehouse.

The Coffeehouse is one of several businesses continuing to grow and contribute to the local economy after participating in Startup St. Bernard. “The Coffeehouse had an extremely persuasive presentation and business plan as a 2016 Startup St. Bernard finalist” explained Andrew Jacques, Executive Director of SBEDF. “We are excited to see them grow and implement the strategies they presented through the competition.”

Looking forward, The Coffee House plans to introduce a lunch menu, live entertainment, and more community events. “We take a lot of pride in the food and drinks we serve and care even more about the people we serve them to,” said Thompson. “We hope our presence will continue to enhance and encourage growth in Arabi, but most importantly, we hope to continue progressing the community forward and investing in its citizens.”