“My advice that I can give to someone looking to start a business in Summerside is to be prepared to work hard and get involved in your community.”

 

1. What is your name and name of the business?

Moyna, Samuel’s Coffee House

 

2. How long has your business been operating, and how long has it been operating in the Greater Summerside area?

We have been operating in downtown Summerside since 2011

 

3. Can you tell me about your business and what products/services you offer?

Samuel’s is a cafe offering specialty beverages, coffee, tea, pastries and breakfast and lunch fare. We make everything in house using local quality ingredients and take great time developing recipes that bring out the best of what we do in PEI . In addition to the cafe, we also offer catering, services, wholesale coffee and tea and curated local merchandise at our store downtown and online.

 

4. What inspired you to start this business, and what made you choose your location?

The vision for Samuel’s was quite simply to create a space to bring people together through great coffee.

Having recently moved to Summerside , the birthplace of my Mothers’ family, I wanted to bring a sense of place to the community; a place to gather and find comfort and friendship. A place to inspire and share the culture of the people and happenings in and around it. I grew up with stories of my entrepreneurial grandparents and the bustling downtown of Summerside, so I wanted to play a small role in being a part of its rebirth and was motivated by the efforts of those before me, and a passion for creating an impact with something new.

 

5.  What do you love most about being a business owner in the Greater Summerside area?

Being an owner in the Greater Summerside area gives me great pride. It is where we chose to raise our family, the community in which my husband teaches, and a place of great history for my family. To contribute to the community in a small way is extremely rewarding. It allows us to connect with those we share this community with and it turn, be a part of its future.

 

6. Are there any specific challenges or advantages to running a business in the Greater Summerside area?

There are challenges in running any business. They cannot be avoided, but how you deal with them, is a choice. The very nature of business is based on a challenge and solving that challenge. When we opened, we knew we were introducing something new to the community at that time. The products and services needed to appeal to a wide audience in order for us to succeed. The particular coffee house we wanted to create is often found in larger cities with a larger populations. Build it and they will come – We believed strongly in creating a space we wanted to see in the downtown. One which had not existed at that time. Had we chosen a larger area -we may not have been as successful in creating something unique.

 

7.  Can you share a success story related to your business in the Greater Summerside area?

The initial plan for Samuels was a small cafe serving just drinks and baked goods -we now have three locations and operate at the farmers market – employing over 36 people each year. We are so grateful to live and work in a community that allowed the dream to not only be realized and exceeded our initial dreams. Reaching the milestone of 10 years in 2021 on the heels of Covid was a huge moment for us.

 

8. What advice would you give to someone looking to start a business, and why should they choose the Greater Summerside area?

Choosing Summerside is a great option. It is a city full of opportunity and experience. To create a business and start a business in a community under this level of growth allows you to be contributor of who we are. Who we are as a city and a community. A community is what you make it and small business and the people in them are a big factor. Maybe there is something not developed yet, something you would like to see, a product or service that would benefit the community.

 

9. How did your business navigate and overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic?

The pandemic was hard and few businesses if any were immune. We do believe however that in every challenge, there is opportunity. Opportunity to learn, grow, reflect, shift, change. Change is much easier when it feels like there are no options. Our drive thru location was born out of necessity to serve our customers safely and employ our staff. We still operate the drive thru today and may not have made this move otherwise.

10. Tell us the most unique feature of your business

Besides operating in one of the most historical buildings in Summerside-our uniqueness comes form the varied talents and contributions of the people in it and what they bring to our customers.

 

Check out Samuels Coffee Shop

4 Queen Street, Summerside PE

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