“We opened to give back profits on many of our items to various charities in the community,” Ferester said. “People love gathering there and having their artisan coffee, [and] we keep improving and increasing our offerings of food and pastries.”
Starting out, Ferester said she originally had no intention of owning a coffeehouse or restaurant, but the space opened up next to her other business, and it was too good to pass up on.
“It seemed like a good way to give back and meet people next door,” she said.
Giving in troubled times
When coronavirus closures first hit in March, Ferester said she had to close the coffeehouse for a couple of days to follow state guidelines. Upon reopening, she said she and her staff adjusted by focusing primarily on carryout orders and have since been using an app which allows customers to place their curbside orders more conveniently.
Despite a loss of overall revenue over the past few months, Ferester said she has still been focused on the mission of donating to area charities, such as Interfaith of The Woodlands and Montgomery County Food Bank.
“We are still trying to do what we promised to do,” Ferester said. “We continue to give ... and different people need help at different times. We are going to start a T-shirt drive, and the whole amount that people buy is going to go to Interfaith. We have had so many things hit us while we tried to get started, but we are still plugging along.”
Keeping it in the family
Ferester said the name for Lovebeans came from a business run by her son, Ryan, which focused on selling an organic, gluten-free chocolate spread. After moving to California to pursue a new business venture, Ryan left the business with Ferester.
“We had quite a production going,” Ferester said. “After a few months, I decided I was not going to go on with Lovebeans, so I shut it down. People wanted to buy it, but I decided not to sell it because I had a thought in the back of my mind that Lovebeans may come back someday.”
Ferester said when she decided to open the coffee shop, a friend talked her into naming it after the former business. The chocolate spread is again being sold by Lovebeans.
Since opening, Ferester said she has learned a lot and has been focusing on expanding the coffeehouse’s menu to include a variety of baked goods, wraps, sandwiches and drinks. Among the more popular items are Lovebeans’ chocolate chunk and oatmeal cookies, Ferester said.
“It is really hard; it is all about teamwork,” she said. “You look to see what [customers] like; you find it and keep it going, and then they come back. I have learned a lot.”
Lovebeans Coffeehouse
8522 Creekside Forest Drive, Ste. D-100,
The Woodlands
832-698-2017
www.lovebeanscoffeehouse.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun., 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
