Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie McFarland.
Katie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Hey there! My name is Katie McFarland and I own The Pony Expresso in Canton, Texas. I grew up in Washington State and moved to Waco, Texas (not knowing a single person) in 2007 to ride on Baylor’s Equestrian Team. After graduating from Baylor in 2011, I moved to Dallas and began working for an electrical distribution company. Throughout my time in Texas, I always felt like Texans were missing out on great coffee. Being from Washington, we have what we call “Mocha Stands” on about every corner. A Mocha Stand is a small drive-thru only coffee shop. They are quick + cute and have THE BEST coffee. My friends always joke that they know they’re in Washington when there is a mocha stand on every corner. It always blew my mind that there weren’t any coffee stands here in Texas and I knew I wanted to open my own coffee shop in Texas someday.
After about five years of working in Dallas, I met my husband Tony. We got married in Sept. 2017, built a house and moved to Canton, where he is from. After being here for just a few months, I knew Canton was the perfect place to make my dreams come to life. Since I was a little girl, I have always dreamed of opening my own coffee shop and calling it The Pony Expresso. And for whatever reason, it just felt right here in Canton.
We opened the shop on November 1st, 2018 and here we are today! It has seriously been such a dream. This community is so amazing. The town + people have given us so much love and support. I love this town so, so much. And my heart is so full to be able to say that I was able to follow my dreams!
Has it been a smooth road?
I have always looked at life as a path that will have speed bumps, detours, road blocks. It isn’t a question of if they are coming, but when. I always try to look at obstacles as a problem that I need to solve. Because of this, was it perfectly smooth, no. But I wasn’t expecting it to be.
The hardest part for me in the beginning was not knowing. There wasn’t really another business like mine in town and this was my first business that I’ve opened, so the unknown was the hardest part for me. It’s scary to follow your dreams. As rewarding as it can be, it’s also terrifying. If you fail, it’s all on you. But I would never want to not follow my dreams, just because I was scared to fail. How will we ever learn if we don’t step outside of our comfort zone?
I am just so grateful and thankful to be where we are today. We get to wake up every day and serve the best people in their morning/daily coffee. People choose to start their day with us, and that is the best compliment we could receive.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Pony Expresso is a coffeehouse located on the historic downtown square in Canton, Texas. We feature specialty coffees, blended drinks, tea and pastries. We renovated a small, old drive-thru bank building and turned it into a coffee shop. You can drive-thru or come inside to order. We have a super small seating area inside and an awesome covered patio for seating outside.
Our drinks are all hand crafted and can be made just the way you like them. We want our drinks to be made perfect for you !! More sweet, less sweet, combine your own flavors, whatever you want. Our goal is always to make consistently great tasting coffee for YOU, efficiently and with an awesome attitude.
We use a local coffee roaster, Van Zandt Coffee Co., for all of our drinks. We believe in shopping local and supporting local. We try to give back to our community who has been so supportive of us and we try to be involved in as much as we can.
I think what has set up apart is that we really try to look at everyone who comes through our shop as a family. They aren’t just another customer, and they are our brother, grandma, coach, sister, mom, dad. I am always trying to tell my team to remember that and to be kind. Without our customers, we would be nothing. We try to get to know our customers. We remember their names and orders, ask them about their lives. Sometimes, someone saying “Good Morning, Ashley” can make their day. And really, that’s all we want to do. We want to help you have a great day.
I’m so proud of my team. I get to work with some seriously amazing people. I’m proud of where we are and I’m so excited to see where we will be in the future!
Contact Info:
- Address: 231 E. Tyler Street
Canton, Texas | 75103 - Phone: 903-502-5151
- Email: theponyexpressotx@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theponyexpressotx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theponyexpressotx/
Image Credit:
Tori Jean Photography – Tori Zwick
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