Denise Diggs and Houston Robertson work at Lilly Bird Coffee, their mobile coffee and catering cart.Name: Lilly Bird Coffee
Owners: Houston Robertson and Denise Diggs
Location: Mobile
Service: Catered coffee drinks and smoothies
How it got started: Robertson and Diggs have always been passionate about coffee, and recently decided to turn that passion into a business. So the couple launched Lilly Bird Coffee, a coffee and smoothie catering cart that uses high-quality organic ingredients.
The menu includes a variety of smoothies, espresso and coffee drinks. The pair also creates personalized, unique drinks for each event they cater, and -- after moving to Chattanooga from Detroit last month -- are adding sweet tea to the menu to appease their new Southern clientele.
Typically, Robertson and Diggs cater events for between 75 and 150 people, and charge per person for each event.
Initial investment: $5,000
Five-year goal: Eventually Robertson and Diggs hope to expand with additional carts in Nashville or Atlanta, using a sort-of micro-franchise model to ensure quality stays high. "It's been a dream of ours for a while," Robertson said.
Bet you didn't know: The business is named after the pair's two border collies, Lilly and Bird. Diggs and Robertson started the company hoping the odd hours would allow them to spend more time with their dogs, and it seemed natural to then name the company after their furry pets.
Contact: lillybirdcoffee@gmail.com or 541-639-1124
Compiled by staff writer Shelly Bradbury, who can be reached at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com.