AUSTIN, Texas — People can start a business for many different reasons – love of a project or it might just be a good investment. But a local coffee shop owner is hoping he can sell more than just hot drinks.
This is why, on most mornings, you'll find Devil Dog coffee truck at the corner of Twin Creek and Old San Antonio roads in South Austin.
"We've been open with the truck since September of last year, but we've been at this new location at Twin Creeks and San Antonio Road for two months now," explained owner Eric Gates.
He's has been selling beans and cold brew since 2019, but took his coffee business to a truck during the pandemic.
"It was a necessity to bring my business to the next level of growth," Gates added.
He is growing it by whatever means necessary, using skills from his career before coffee.
"I was in Marine reconnaissance. So, working in a small team out in the middle of nowhere, you had to learn on the fly and make course corrections, so the same thing in the truck," he said.
But for Gates, his truck was a chance for more than just serving a hot drink.
"You know, people love this, they love the idea of being able to come and support a member in their own community. And having been in the military, having served, one of the things that are really important to me – getting back to us having respect for one another. And I believe, here at the window of the coffee truck, that's something that we have an opportunity to emulate," he said.
He talked about bringing people together and allowing them to talk over their differences. Part of the idea came from a trip to Israel before he started the company. He was surprised what people were willing to share over a cup of coffee and thought it might work here as well.
"It's the power of a cup of coffee that can bring people together," he said. "We may not agree or see eye to eye on things, but there is a level of respect that we have for each other."
It's connecting people cup by cup and growing a community by whatever means necessary.
"If I fail, I fail, but learn from it and continue to move forward," he added.
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