Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Ohman.
Hi Brittany, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My family and I purchase Stonehouse Coffee in April of 2022. Stonehouse has been in business for 23 years as a coffee house. It started out as a small space in downtown Nisswa, MN, and over the years grew into a larger coffee retail space, our own roastery, bakery, and eventually 2 more locations in the Brainerd lakes area.
I have been in the coffee world for 9 years. My journey started up in Grand Forks, ND with Bully Brew Coffee as a barista, and eventually managed a Bully Brew Coffee in Fargo, ND for a few years before moving to Brainerd and finding Stonehouse was hiring for a Roaster. I knew I wanted to do coffee for a living and thought it was a great opportunity to learn more about coffee with the dreams of having my own place.
Soon after working here and gaining a good relationship with the owners, I learn that they were looking to retire in the near future. A few years later my family and I were able to purchase the business and all of its locations. We are now just approaching a year of owning it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My coffee journey has always been something from my first day as a barista something I’ve found passion in. I quickly learned that I wanted a shop of my own one day. I grew up working for my family’s business and knew I wanted to keep my family close. The hardest part of my journey was getting a shop of my own and being patient while I was learning.
Many times, I was so close to purchasing my own place that it would fall apart. I learned to be patient and that when the time was right everything would fall into place. Since purchasing Stonehouse the journey has been mostly smooth sailing. It has been a relief to make my own decisions, train my own staff, and put all the things I’ve learned over the years to use.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am the leader and main decision-maker for Stonehouse Coffee. I play many roles as the manager, marketer, green coffee buyer, roaster, fix-it lady, barista, and many more. We are known mostly for our quality freshly roasted coffee and our Scones! We have a bakery on site that in our busy summer months can sell over 600+ scones. We have a flavor to suit everyone’s taste buds.
Personally, I am proudest of my creativity and ability to thrive under pressure, change, and stress. With any roadblock or difficult task, I find myself adapting and making it work with what I have and problem-solving easily.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
My creativity, flexibility, and work ethic. I can pivot if needed or push through a difficult time. I grew up working for my family and learning that hard work can get you anything you want in life. Work was always something I enjoyed and didn’t find it to be a nagging task like most people consider a job to be.
It was always something I enjoyed doing because there was always something to look forward to at the end. A day at the lake, a vacation, etc. Everything we had growing up I could see came from hard work and that was and is all the motivation I need to keep moving forward. It was the cherry on top that I found something I was passionate about that also could be a career I could involve my family in.
Contact Info:
- Website: stonehousecoffeec.com
- Instagram: @SERIOUSLYGOODCOFFEE
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stonehousecoffeeandroastery
