Stacy and Aaron Orndorff saw a need for coffee and food at their local farmer’s market in Sioux City. They decided to open up Heartland Coffee & Nosh, a family-run mobile food and drink truck, reminiscent of a breakfast downtown Austin spot, head-quartered in Correctionville, in April of 2017. With 3 full-time and 17 part-time employees they are able to bring shareable, unique, and fun food and drink experiences to events across the Midwest. They offer a variety of signature drinks with homemade syrups, breakfast bowls, sweets, and a pop-up menu with seasonal produce.
With their future plans being to expand their service area and their ability to be at multiple locations, one of their biggest triumphs was RAGBRAI. They were able to feed 500+ people per day for the 7 days of the event. They also attend events such as Sioux City Food Truck Fridays, RiseFest, the Woodbury County Fair, Morningside Mashup and more.
What surprised Stacy and Aaron the most was how quickly they caught on with customers and the capacity that they operate at from a small rural town, which has allowed them more potential for growth. They have been challenged with keeping up with this growth while meeting customer demands and staying organized.
Heartland Coffee & Nosh likes to help other start-ups and local non-profits. They also like to mentor young entrepreneurs. When asked what advice they would give to people looking at starting their own business they say, “Make sure the numbers make sense, grow organically, do things with excellence and consistently, and create a BRAND.”
Stacy reached out to the SBDC for assistance when looking to grow her business. She says, “The mentorship provided by the SBDC has been instrumental in my ability to identify and implement areas of growth and expansion for my business. Because my business is for the most part seasonal, meeting with Todd, Regional Director of the Western Iowa Tech SBDC, at the conclusion of each season has helped me reflect and move forward. It is valuable to have the SBDC available and I’m grateful for the research and assistance they offer.”
Visit Heartland Coffee & Nosh at https://www.coffeeandnosh.com/, Facebook, and Instagram.