ROANOKE, Va. – Opening a business in the middle of a pandemic can be a daunting task, but Jonathan Candia is finding success with Honest Coffee Company.
Rain or shine, he puts his electric bike pedal to the metal and gets going.
His inspiration comes from bigger cities.
“I love to go to DC, love to go to Richmond, love to go to New York. And pretty much everywhere you go, there’s a food cart.”
The inspiration to start this coffee and pasty cart can also be attributed to a simple drive down the road.
Candia nonchalantly tells us, “I drove by Starbucks and saw lines down the road and was like, ya know…let’s do this.”
The lightbulb went off. Candia could support local businesses by also supporting himself. Everything he sells is local, and most of it has a Latin twist.
He offers, “Colombian coffee, Mexican pastries from a local bakery in Rocky Mount. I try to keep everything local, even the milk. It’s from Homestead Creamery.”
Whether it’s for the pep in your step or colorful dessert, walking by the cart will make your eyes widen. Even from just a picture on social media, people are flocking to Honest Coffee Co.
You can also follow along their social media platforms to see where Candia will pedal to next.
This is especially noteworthy to those in law enforcement, who will get a free coffee with each visit. Those in the medical field can get a free coffee from the cart through the rest of May.