Despite the challenges of running a business, Brick Road Coffee owners Gabe Hagen and Jesse Shank have never shied away from adversity. In fact, they’ve met these challenges head-on: with purpose, pride, and PayPal Checkout’s powerful capabilities by their side.
“Having PayPal in our corner helps us keep doing what we love: creating a safe, welcoming spot for everyone who walks through our doors."
The path to success can have unexpected obstacles and detours along the way. However, a sense of purpose—and a powerful payment partner—make it possible to keep moving forward.
Here are some key takeaways from Brick Road Coffee’s journey, and how tools like PayPal Checkout help them grow.
Arizona-based Brick Road Coffee offers more than just high-quality, carefully sourced coffee in their vibrant cafe. They strive to provide a sense of belonging and a community-centered mission.
“We started Brick Road Coffee to create a space that not only serves great coffee, but also fosters community and supports marginalized voices, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community,” says Hagen. “We wanted to build a business that goes beyond just selling a product.”
But standing up for your values isn’t always easy. The team has faced pushback from individuals who oppose their message of empowerment and inclusion. Hagen recounts:
“We’ve used that as motivation to double down on our values and build a strong, supportive community around us.”
Business owners looking to unite their efforts around a cause can take a page out of Brick Road’s playbook: stay grounded in your mission and the right customers, employees, and partners will find you.
Buoyed by the success of their cafe, Brick Road Coffee looked ahead to a new source of revenue: selling their products online.
With the introduction of their online store, customers everywhere could now purchase conscientiously sourced beans and blends—while supporting a business that backs the LGBTQ+ community.
“This allows us to share our passion for exceptional coffee with a wider audience, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the same quality coffee we serve in our shop, no matter where they are.”
As their business model expanded beyond the walls of their cafe, Brick Road Coffee needed a payment solution they could rely on.
Hagen and Shank selected PayPal Checkout to help make online payments a breeze for customers. In fact, PayPal Checkout can help convert an average of 46% more checkout conversions (from the point at which customers begin to make a payment) for businesses like Brick Road Coffee.
“We chose to integrate PayPal because we wanted to ensure convenience and flexibility for our customers, whether they’re purchasing our small-batch, fresh-roasted coffee or other products online,” reflects Hagen
Offering PayPal has helped Brick Road provide a flexible checkout experience, whether a customer is buying a latte in-store or ordering fresh grounds from across the country.
“By offering PayPal, we aim to provide a seamless shopping experience that meets the diverse needs of our customers,” Hagen explains.
What’s better than a bustling, inclusive cafe with delicious high-quality coffee? TWO bustling, inclusive cafes and a roastery, of course!
With Brick Road Coffee’s Tempe location thriving, Hagen and Shank took a leap and expanded to a second location: Empower Coffee Roasters in Mesa. This new sister cafe features a community event space and roastery, Prism Coffee Lab.
The roastery enhances their offerings with precision-roasted, small-batch beans that are used in their cafes. They also wholesale Prism Coffee Lab roasts to other businesses, growing their potential customer base (and potential revenue) even further.
For Brick Road Coffee, running a thriving business isn’t about profit margins alone. It’s also about community impact.
“Success for us is defined by the positive impact Brick Road Coffee has on our community and the connections we create through our space and products,” says Hagen. “It’s about more than just financial achievements; it's about fostering a welcoming environment where people feel seen, supported, and valued.”
Shank echoed, "Brick Road has always been about more than just coffee; it’s about building a space where people feel like they belong. We’re proud to be a sober-friendly, LGBTQ-owned, and community-rooted business."
Whether hosting community events like Queer Art market, expanding their locations and product lines, or earning customers both near and far, every milestone reflects Brick Road Coffee’s core mission: to make everyone feel welcome.
Brick Road Coffee’s success shows that the right tools can help a business grow while staying focused on their mission.
By uniting a flexible payment platform with a strong mission, Brick Road didn’t just build a business: they built a movement that gives every customer a voice—and a great cup of coffee.
Ready to get paid and get ahead with streamlined checkout solutions? Learn how with PayPal Open.
Discover payment tools that can power your business growth, all in one platform.