Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Whitaker.
Hi Heather, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We had the objective of owning a cafe or coffee shop one day but the plans were muddied when Heather lost her Aunt and Jerry lost his mother.
The thought process came back around in late 2024 when we decided to make it happen to leave the corporate world. We began our business in November 2024 as a small coffee truck with hopes of opening a brick & mortar by year 5. We worked hard and fast to get our truck rolling by January 1st, 2025.
Through the year we learned the ins and outs of the coffee world. We, alongside our Daughter Lyiah, worked day in and day out to make our brand known.
We won the Main Street Award for Dickson County’s best Catering/Food truck in July and then the Main Street Best of Middle Tennessee in November.
The idea of a coffee shop came to fruition when the perfect spot came up for lease in November. We had planned to be in Charlotte, Tennessee as this was where Jerry grew up.
We plan to open our first brick and mortar by January 1st,2026 with the name THAT DANG COFFEE CO.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Through our first 4 months of operation, we operated in the coldest weather of the year. We had multiple issues with freezing pipes, water pumps, tank issues and three different generators before we got it right. We soldiered on, with help from dear friends, and kept working day in and day out to make our dream happen.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Jerry and Heather are both creative people. Jerry is a musician with many years in the scene. Heather has always been a fine artist with a flair for culinary. We put both of those creative sides of our brains to work to create a fun, semi-music inspired menu and a truck with flavor. We do everything with the intention of being over the top. Our truck is always decorated, music always flowing and drinks always innovative. We are most known for having fun, weird sodas & coffee!
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
We are firm believers in good karma coming back full circle. We push as many good things in to the universe in hope to get some back in return. You never know what worse luck bad luck has saved you from!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://xdzp26-bk.myshopify.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatdangcoffeeco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1K6N8FRrrv/
