Anchor Island pours into coffee shop’s potential with unique investment round
December 19, 2023 | Taylor Wilmore
A crowd-funded investment opportunity through HoneyComb Credit would allow customers to help a Troost Avenue coffee shop enhance its kitchen equipment and expand the Anchor Island Coffee brand’s popular menu. Franchising and a liquor license could also be on the horizon.
Armando Vasquez, Anchor Island Coffee; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
“We need support for the vision that we have, the product we serve, and how unique of a business we are,” said Armando Vasquez, who founded and owns the tropical-themed space with his husband, Mike Hastings.
Anchor Island Coffee launched in March 2020 just before the pandemic, ultimately rebounding before encountering another setback in 2022 when a truck damaged the front entrance.
The spot remains a busy gathering place along the Troost corridor, with a menu that ranges from tamales to French toast.
“We were open during COVID, we survived, we made it work, and we’ve only grown,” said Vasquez.
Click here to check out Anchor Island Coffee.
Funds raised from the investment round through HoneyComb Credit are expected to be used for crucial upgrades, including an HVAC system, kitchen remodel, and relocating certain equipment to boost the kitchen’s efficiency, Vasquez said.
“Anyone can invest, from $100 to $1,000, or more. It’s not a GoFundMe; it’s an investment in our brand,” he continued.
Click here to learn more about how the investments work.
The investment round runs through Jan. 18.
Clean concept
Vasquez takes pride in Anchor Island’s efforts to prevent food waste through careful planning, he said.
Mike Hastings and Armando Vasquez, Anchor Island Coffee
“Opening a week before COVID, we were forced to create a very lean menu,” Vasquez said. “This not only allowed us to introduce and continuously grow our food production through COVID and beyond, but it also created a system with very little waste.”
Click here to read more about the origins of Anchor Island.
Serving fresh food is also a priority at Anchor Island, he said. The coffee shop’s staff makes everything on the menu from scratch, and also provides dietary options like gluten-free and dairy-free items.
“To keep the quality, we need more expensive ingredients,” said Vasquez. “What I like about our concept is we try to make the food as clean as possible. No MSG, as little preservatives as possible, and no soy.”
Vasquez revealed plans for an evening menu and the potential addition of a liquor license.
“We are in talks with local chefs and considering partnering with the KC Restaurant Association,” he said.
Gaining a liquor license in 2024 would align with Vasquez’s vision of offering a full bar and evening services, transforming Anchor Island into a multifaceted establishment and drawing in more people.
“Getting my license will definitely bring the crowd that we are not getting currently,” said Vasquez. “We will be in a more functional place in the market.”
“We are trying to do a coffee and breakfast vibe in the morning with maybe some mimosas,” he continued. “In the evening we would like more of a full bar and service with servers and hostesses.”
Anchor Island Coffee; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
Plans to expand
Anchor Island Coffee; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
In response to customer demand, Vasquez aims to expand Anchor Island Coffee through franchising, focusing on locations with strong personal connections and community support.
“Our aspiration is getting big, and growing, and to grow into a place where we franchise to a few states slowly, like Hawaiian Bros.,” said Vasquez.
Reflecting on Anchor Island Coffee’s resilience amid the pandemic, Vasquez shared the significance of expanding his and Hastings’ homegrown brand, feeling that it will spotlight their growth despite adversity.
“Being open during COVID, a time when people sometimes didn’t have a lot of faith, and then being able to grow into more locations would be just such a big success story by itself, and people will see that,” he said.
2023 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Kansas City startup ‘walks the talk,’ bungee jumps
Sara Davidson doesn’t lightly espouse a message of fearlessness in business. And that’s why Davidson, the founder of Hello Fearless, is live broadcasting her jump off a cable car in Switzerland. Davidson is hoping to inspire other women around the world to conquer their fears not only with a live-streamed bungee jump — out of a…
Think accounting: 3 ways to drive your accountant insane
In this Think column, Emerging Business CFO founder Dan Schmidt shares three ways to drive him, and other accountants, crazy. The Think column helps entrepreneurs to stop and think about the various aspects of starting and running a business. Accountant and finance professionals are generally known to be level-headed clear thinkers, able to ride the crests of emotion…
Kansas City seeks leaders for Smart City board
The City of Kansas City, Mo., is now seeking nominations to lead the city’s smart city efforts. City leaders hope to attract citizens with experience in smart city technologies to help advise the City of Fountain’s coming Cisco Smart City project, in addition to its other smart city efforts. The newly authorized “Smart City Advisory…
RECAP: 1 Million Cups focuses on time with Mixtape, Flowh
There was a theme at today’s 1 Million Cups KC, and it was time. Two startups presented their businesses, both at different stages, and both in different industries, but both dealing with time — how we remember it and how we manage it. Mixtape founder Joel Johnson was first to present his firm, which created…