Owner of Fuel Coffee and High 5 Pie goes to work at 4 a.m. seven days a week — and loves it.
What do you do? I own Fuel Coffee and High 5 Pie; these days, I spend most my day making pies and drinking endless amounts of coffee.
How did you get started? I have been a barista since about 1992. After many years of working at coffee shops, I knew it was the best job for me. I decided to start Fuel in 2005. As the economy got a little, um, tenuous in 2008, I turned to what I always turn to in stressful times — pie! I called my Grandma Molly, got some of her favorite recipes and hit the kitchen. In December of 2008, we launched High 5 Pie as a wholesale-only business, and then opened our pie shop on Capitol Hill in January of 2011.
What’s a typical day like? Is there such thing? I start work by 4 a.m. every day at High 5 Pie, and then by about 1 or 2 p.m. (depending on how many meetings I have scheduled), I head to Fuel for the rest of the afternoon/evening.
What’s the best part of the job? Meeting all sorts of wonderful coffee- and pie-lovin’ people! And of course, being surrounded by pie and coffee all day is quite a perk.
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What surprises people about your job? Going to work at 4 a.m. seven days a week and still loving what I do every day!