"Leap of faith."

That's how Sam Shelmadine described the moment she and her husband, Cody, decided to open a coffee shop - with absolutely no business experience.

Hometown Grounds has been open in downtown Tuscola for 2-1/2 months now, and already the place feels like it's been there for years. Students, local workers, retirees - they all keep the place popping in the morning. And during the slower hours, Hometown Grounds delivers to local schools.

Considering they don't have a lot of business experience, Sam & Cody have learned quite a lot in the past few years. Yes, years. Because, while they have only been open a few months, they started planning their business a few years ago.

How did they plan? They visited coffee shops all over Central Illinois, talked to the owners about business numbers, product sources, compliance - everything they needed to know. Instead of seeing Sam & Cody as competition, other coffee shop owners helped.

During our visit to Hometown Grounds, Sam & Cody Shelmadine talked to us about:
- renting vs. buying a building
- compliance in the food service industry
- networking
- drive-thru or not?
- location, location, location
- side business of hosting events
- modular interior design and setup
- hiring employees vs. family

Thank you, Sam & Cody, for sharing your business story with us! We can't wait to see how your business evolves.

#entrepreneur @miehq Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship @hometowngroundscoffee217 Hometown Grounds Coffee and Events