Meet Chelsi Wells | Cafe/Roastery Owner

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

Hi Chelsi, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
As I was getting ready to graduate from college, I realized I didn’t have a clear direction. My degree gave me a strong foundation, but it didn’t naturally lead to a specific path. Around that time, I came across a coffee shop that was for sale. I didn’t end up buying that particular shop, but it sparked the idea of business ownership in a way I hadn’t really considered before.

Much of my college experience had been spent working with organizations and schools that supported individuals with disabilities, and my brother had also been working in similar roles and fields. Being in those parallel spaces, the idea was sparked that maybe we could build a business that also served as a space where friends of ours with disabilities could practice job skills and gain work experience to reduce their barriers to entry into the workforce. A coffee shop seemed like a natural environment for that kind of learning.

When we stepped into the coffee world, we quickly fell in love with it, from sourcing and roasting to connecting with customers and our community. Over time, the mission and the coffee have grown together. Creating good coffee and creating space for growth are both just part of what we do, and we keep learning as we go. It’s been a rewarding journey, not because of one big achievement, but because of the ongoing process of building something meaningful and accessible with our community.

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?
Honestly, we got to where we are today through a mix of ignorance, energy, and a lot of support. When we first started, we knew very little about running a business and only the basics about coffee. What we did have was excitement, big aspirations, and people around us who cared about our growth and were willing to take a chance on us. Looking back, I’m not sure I would have taken the same risk on my 24-year-old self that others so quickly did, and I feel a deep sense of gratitude for those who believed in us.

The journey hasn’t been easy, we’ve faced plenty of challenges, missteps, and steep learning curves. My brother and I have always been close, but working together at this level pushed us in new ways. We weren’t just figuring out how to collaborate as business partners; we were also learning how to operate a business that was already in motion. It felt like stepping into the driver’s seat of a train going 100 miles per hour without having any real experience behind the controls. The stakes were high, and people were depending on us, so we had to learn quickly, about the business, about ourselves, and about how to lead together. As hard as that was, it became some of the most formative work we’ve done.

Adaptability has also been a huge lesson. For example, during Covid we had to reimagine how our business functioned. While it was challenging, it expanded our view of what was possible and showed us how resilient we could be.

Through it all, the thing that grounds us is our values:

Authenticity: showing up as our real selves, humble about what we don’t know, open to growth, and acting with integrity.

Connectedness: prioritizing relationships, empathy, and community so people feel seen and valued.

Empowerment: believing that when one person thrives, we all do. We strive to lift others up and build something collaborative rather than competitive.

What excites us most now is seeing how those values show up in new parts of our business. Of course, we love serving our community directly through our cafés, but we’ve also found a new passion in our private label coffee program. It allows us to live out Connectedness and Empowerment on another level, partnering with other businesses, being invited into their story, and creating something that reflects both of our missions. It’s less about us or them and more about what we can build together, and that collaboration has become one of the most energizing parts of our work

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.
Honestly, one of the things I love about showing someone around Fort Collins is that it’s so easy to tailor the trip to whoever’s visiting. There’s a little bit of everything here, outdoor adventures, amazing food, craft breweries, live music, coffee shops, ice cream… you name it. There are so many people doing so many things well that it’s actually hard to go wrong.

If my best friend were visiting for a week, I’d probably start with Old Town and the CSU campus, get out to Poudre Canyon or Horsetooth for some hiking or just to take in the views, and make sure we hit some local food and drink spots like The Regional, Rio or Los Comales, Music City Hot Chicken, maybe The Whiskey Still, a few breweries like Funkwerks, Stodgy, or Odell, and definitely some ice cream at Edison’s or Walrus.

Really, what I’d want most is to share the variety and personality of this place. The people, the experiences, the flavors, and help them find the things that match them best. Picking favorites is honestly tough, but that’s the beauty of Fort Collins: there’s something for everyone, and you really can’t go wrong.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who deserve credit for where we are today. Our friends and family have encouraged us, listened to us vent, celebrated our wins, and never hesitated to jump in and get their hands dirty alongside us. Our parents have supported us every step of the way, often indulging our big, sometimes risky ideas, and putting their own well-being on the line so we could learn and grow.

We’ve also had personal mentors who taught us to lead and reflect from a place of humility and honesty. Bill Scott deserves a special shoutout. He was an adult in our community who had always supported us, but when we started talking about the idea of owning a coffee shop, he took that seriously in a way we hadn’t even considered possible. As a business broker, he got us connected to the sale of a well-established shop in town. At the time we had no money, no assets, and very little experience, but through his mentorship, encouragement, and belief in us, he made it possible for us to step into that opportunity. He even rallied some of his friends to invest financially and helped guide us as everything came together. At times, we thought he was a little too casual about what it would actually take to run a business, but looking back, I think he knew what we were capable of figuring out on our own. He supported us where we needed it most and left space for us to learn through the hard parts ourselves, and for that, we’re incredibly grateful.

And of course, our staff and employees, especially our manager, Kelsey, who feel the ups and downs of our growth more than anyone. They’ve endured the turbulence of our mistakes, helped us clean up messes, and carried the weight of our development, all while continuing to show up with loyalty and dedication. We wouldn’t be here without them.

Website: https://starrynight.coffee

Instagram: @starrynightespressocafe.com

Other: admin@starrynightespressocafe.com

Image Credits
Amber Canny (Lamb)