Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Gregory.
Nicole, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hi! My name is Nicole Gregory, and I am the owner of Staycation Coffee in Richardson, TX. When asked to walk through the story behind Staycation and what led me to open a coffee shop, the many moments and experiences that came together to bring this to fruition are oftentimes overwhelming because it’s been a multitude of extraordinary events that have led me to being in this space and time.
I will break this down by most frequently asked questions, and let’s see where that gets us. 🙂
1. What is your story?
I am the third oldest of twelve children, and my upbringing within the Mennonite/Amish community allowed me to have childhood experiences that most people will never know or understand. Life consisted of the simple yet the exquisite, the tedious yet the rewarding, the different yet the authentic. I remember kneading bread at the age of 15, knowing that later we would enjoy it on the dinner table alongside homemade strawberry jam and butter we had churned the day before. Those were childhood happy moments- the aroma of warm bread meeting my smell before the taste had even met my mouth and because life had very little distractions, I had the privilege to truly be present for the simplest of moments and learn to enjoy their nuances.
This definitely set the backdrop for the way I approached life and would later approach opening my own shop.
2. Why coffee?
I was introduced to the world of coffee in 2012 when I moved to NYC and simply needed a job that paid me and allowed me to pay my bills. I was starting over at the age of 28 after a devastating divorce, and since two of my sisters were living in the city that never sleeps, I decided, “why not?” The first day I stepped into the cafe that I would work at for the next 16 months was the day I knew that I wanted to be in the world of food and beverage with a specific focus in coffee. It was the way the lights lit up the dark bakery at 4 AM in the morning. It was the way the first batch of coffee smelled as its aroma wafted through the store. It was the interaction between the people waiting in line for their morning brew and the way humans connected with each other in this space. It was the way I found something I loved and could sink my heart into the way I had sunk it into kneading bread and picking vegetables in the garden as a child.
Life led me back to Dallas, TX where I signed on to work with Headington Hospitality as the opening GM for Weekend Coffee and I went on to stay with that company for about 6 years. Working at the coffee shop solidified everything I’d believed the world of coffee to be and put in me an unwavering goal to one day open my own.
When the time came where I knew I was ready to step away from corporate and start my own journey into the coffee world, I decided to take two months and do a reset in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica which is located in one of the five Blue Zones of the world. Those two months changed the trajectory of my ‘WHY’, and I knew that whatever I started would need to be something that inspired people to live present. To be HERE. I knew that the only investment that was worth my time was to initiate an experience that gave back to the overall experience of being human and being present for every moment.
3. Why Richardson?
Through a series of introductions, business partnerships, failed business partnerships, and good opportunities, the little house at the corner of Texas and Polk was put on my radar as a possible space for a coffee shop. Not knowing what taking the project on quite entailed, I jumped in because I knew two things: 1.) I wanted to own my own shop and 2.) after living in Richardson until the age of 11 and going back frequently for their diverse food scene, I wanted to be a part of this neighborhood that had left me with some beautiful childhood memories and also offered me a place that was diverse in its community which for me, was extremely important.
It has now been eight months since opening, and it is crazy how much life has grown here. The friendships I’ve made, the groups of people who have met each other here and have started new friendships of their own. The conversations that have taken place and the love that has been shared.
When asked why I do what I do and what the inspiration for it is, I can sum it up best in this way- time is the most valuable currency we have and I want to make an investment of my time in cultivating a conduit of connection for people to each other, to themselves and to the human experience.
I didn’t want a coffee shop targeted at the remote worker; I wanted a shop that could be an instigator of stillness and of engaging the five senses. To feel the cup, smell the aroma, taste it, see it, and truly enjoy this ritual of morning coffee. It’s what it is to me- this moment of stillness when all of my senses are engaged in the consumption of it, and that’s what I wanted to pass on. From the farmer to the roasters to the consumer, this world of coffee is such an intricately beautiful world, and to give it the fullness of its moment is what I, the coffee shop owner, believe my purpose is in this chain.
I live with the mission that for whatever time I have here on this earth, I want to live being FULLY ALIVE, and I want to encourage people to do the same.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has never been fully smooth, and for this, I am grateful because it has been the lessons hard learned and the obstacles hard fought that have been my greatest teachers. Navigating business ownership is not as romantic or easy as I thought it would be but I’m understanding that knowing my ‘WHY’, staying authentic to that ‘why’, and keeping a strong group of people around me has been key.
One of my biggest challenges has probably been understanding identity and being true to it not only as an individual but as a business owner. Because I grew up on the fringe of what we have identified as “normal society,” I have struggled with this idea of “keeping up” with what’s trending, what’s relevant, what makes money, what do people want, etc. and although these are all questions to consider, for me, I’m understanding that my business/life can only be what it is supposed to be when I stay true to my ‘WHY’ and invite others to come along.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Staycation Coffee?
We are a coffee shop that focuses on the simplicity yet exquisiteness of food and beverage. I have a huge appreciation for simplicity done well, and I am committed to building a brand around this idea.
I believe that what sets us apart from others is the ideology and personal passion behind the brand. Staycation is about a state of being. It’s about coming in, seeing the colors and design of the space, feeling the emotions that the music infuses into the experience, tasting every note in the coffee, and relishing the moistness of a muffin that’s well made. I believe that food and beverage bring people together in beautiful ways and the cultivating of connection around this is what our main focus is.
The goal of the space is to encourage conversation, encourage taking a pause, sitting in stillness, and letting your senses open up for whatever time you are with us.
There are reasons we like to go on vacation- whether that’s discovery of the new, time to press pause on our daily lives, or being immersed in a different culture- we like to think that those same emotions and senses can be engaged in our own backyard; where we don’t have to necessarily get away to initiate these feelings. Sometimes we just have to be still and feel them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.staycationtx.com
- Instagram: @staycationcoffee
- Facebook: Staycation Coffee
Image Credits
Hillary Bridgeman Photography
