Meet Lauren Storeby | Restaurant owner and coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Storeby and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Happy Trails Coffee Co is actually the 3rd business that I currently own. I also own Snack Attack Specialty Sandwiches and Brews and The Online Restaurant Academy with other business partners. The thought process behind starting my most recent endeavor was that there’s no better time than now. I grew up around entrepreneurship and I absolutely love being a business owner. It sometimes feels like there’s no other way, in terms of working for someone else. I grew up in the restaurant and apparel industries and love everything about people and how creativity inspires others. I’ve always loved coffee and coffee shop experiences so opening a coffee business of my own seemed like the next evolution for me on this small business owner journey. Plus my location is right next door to our other business (Snack Attack) so they feed off of each other. What’s better than coffee and breakfast eats in the am, then to transition to lunch and dinner and a great draft beer line up? It’s a natural fit.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I come from a long line of entrepreneurs so it truly runs in my blood. My grandparents, parents and even my brother live the entrepreneurial lifestyle. I’ve always loved the idea of creating ideas and bringing them to life- from passion project to business. I currently own three businesses all within the restaurant industry. The main business I own with my husband, Snack Attack Specialty Sandwiches and Brews which will be turning 8 this year. There we specialize in hand crafted and top quality sandwiches, salads, wraps, burgers and a fantastic draft beer line up. Another business that I started with a good friend, Tiffany Helton, The Online Restaurant Academy will be going into its 4th year. ORA, for short is a restaurant ownership consulting business. It originally started as a platform for restaurant owners to come to learn how to survive during the pandemic. It was grown into private course, SBDC network courses and now running online leadership programs. We take clients nationwide and it’s been really rewarding to help other restaurant owners thrive in their businesses. My third business I started in late 2023, Happy Trails Coffee Co, which was a dream manifested to life. I’ve always loved coffee experiences and when the location next door to Snack Attack was available I jumped on the opportunity to bring that vision to life. There we feature delicious and fun coffee drinks, matches, chais, and even midwater with easy Takery style food items.

I love everything about the hospitality industry. There is something so special about restaurant experiences and I love creating spaces for others to enjoy. Restaurants are the cornerstones of our communities, they are where relationships are made and memories are created. I’m excited to see what this year brings in all three of the businesses.

Let’s be real. Being a business owner is NOT easy, BUT it’s incredibly rewarding. The past 8 years of building businesses has had its fair share of ups and downs. The pandemic threw the restaurant industry upside-down and being in survival mode was exhausting. But the reality is that some people have what it takes and some simply don’t. You will learn so much about yourself and the strength you never knew you had when you open a business, especially a restaurant business.

The truth is you just figure it out. When your back is against the wall you have no choice but to dig deep or give up. I simply don’t give up and the fear of failure fuels me to keep trying.

I’ve learned so many lessons along the way. I’ve grown as an individual, as a business owner and learned I’m much stronger than I ever believed. The biggest lesson is that you aren’t perfect and that you don’t know it all. It’s ok to mess up and we are always constantly learning. When we make a mistake it’s an opportunity to grow. Those experiences keep us moving in the right direction and we get to take those experiences and carry them with us. It’s like a life tool box.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Being in hospitality I LOVE experiences. I love enjoying my time outside of work and treating myself to the fun places around town. Here in Fort Collins we have a lot of fun options to choose from so it’s always hard to pick my favorites!

If I could pick an ideal day this would be my itinerary: First stop would be Light and Liv for some hot yoga. Then I would head over to Happy Trails Coffee Co for my favorite drink an oat milk pistachio cappuccino and a dragon bowl. Then we would go up to Horsetooth Reservoir and spend a few hours on the water, either tubing with my kids or surfing. Or course we would bring some Snack Attack sandwiches and salad up for lunch. Then we would wind back down into town and visit Odell’s Brewery for a fresh Sippin’ Pretty Sour Ale (the ONLY beer I drink). Then we would make our way to The Sunset Lounge for an espresso martini and then dinner plans at The Whiskey Still. I LOVE their steak salads! Then we would plan on going to some sort of show like a comedy night at Comedy Fort or a music show at Washington’s or The Aggie.

We have such a great city of amenities. I love that we have some amazing trails and outlets into nature. Plus a good variety of restaurants and having CSU here also brings a lot of fun activities to enjoy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am very lucky to have an amazing support system. Really I wouldn’t be successful without my family, friends and community as a whole. When you live a life of entrepreneurship it can feel like those outside of it don’t understand. Luckily my family and friends get it and support me through showing up and word of mouth. This community is a very special one. We have so many small business owners and this community chooses to support them over large corporate companies. Without the acceptance from the public and having them take a chance on you, my business wouldn’t still be open.

Website: https://happytrailscoffeeco.com

Instagram: happytrailscoffeecofoco

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenbrittneystoreby/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauren.farnham.1

Other: Other websites: ORA https://www.onlinerestaurantacademy.com Snack Attack: https://snackattackit.com

Image Credits
My personal photo: Jennifer Little.
All other photos: Lauren Storeby and Isabella Aielts