Starting a physical coffee store was not part of Aundrea Goodwin’s list of things to do. As the Chief Executive Officer of JP Events, Goodwin had enough important work to deal with, including building her US catering business with corporate events.
Anyhow, when Goodwin’s marketing partner and 615innovations founder, Tina Phillips told Goodwin about a chance to start a coffee store at the center, the latter saw its potential. The store was opened there in the last week of May 2021, and it operates between 07:30 am and 03:30 pm from Mondays to Fridays.
It is not Nashville’s first veteran- and Black-owned coffee store to serve both the people who strive in the center and the public. Red Bicycle and Little Mosko’s are among the food companies that have had terms of operating a restaurant there over the last decade. Aundrea Goodwin’s café business model differs from the above, and she feels that it would let her stick around over a long period.
The Nashville Entertainment Center is only about 3 kilometers from her JP Events kitchen, which simplifies bringing fresh food items over and resupplying when products sell out. This center has a kitchen space where food can be warmed, not cooked from scratch. Besides, the range of the kitchen menu will let JP Café make adjustments quickly on the basis of what EC members desire.
The present menu has tea, coffee, smoothies without dairy elements, sandwiches, baked goods, salads, soups, as well as energy-boosting and healthy dishes. Avoid sleeping on the kitchen’s feta-and-spinach pastry. Soon, Goodwin will include plenty of snacks such as popcorn, trail mix and others for takeout at the new venue. She plans on adding a few to-go products, including cut flowers and charcuterie boards. Therefore, when you visit a friend’s residence after toiling at the center, you would not need to appear there in an empty-handed state.
Goodwin plans on using the coffee store as a place that allows testing out new food items and getting feedback before including those in her catering menus, as well. The word ‘JP’ represents Joyful Provisions, reflecting Goodwin’s plans to think beyond a sandwich on the plate in the event business’s mission. For instance, Phillips and Goodwin will give Autism Tennessee a part of the coffee store’s proceeds as a donation. Goodwin has autistic kids, so she is also committed to aiding in making resources more affordable and accessible for other families similar to hers.
The store is offering a few limited-period specials through June 2021, as well. These include a drip coffee at no extra charge with a breakfast/lunch, and the coffee refills for free to both EC members and Fourth Capital and Trolley Barnes workers, if they follow the store on Instagram.
