December 16, 2025

578: Founder Friday w/ Matt and Elise Higgins of Origin Coffee Bar, Savannah, GA

54 minutes

I love an origin story where the pluck, confidence, and unwavering belief of the founders for each other and their idea is met with the support, enthusiasm, and positive feedback of the community they set out to serve. They say your calling is where your talents intersect with what people need and today we get to talk with people who have been authoring a story just like that. Very happy today to feature the story of Matt and Elise Higgins of Origin Coffee Bar! Elise and Matt Higgins are the husband-and-wife founders of Origin Coffee Bar, with cafés in Savannah and Hilton Head Island. Creative and entrepreneurial at heart, they launched Origin in 2020 with a focus on generosity, community, and excellent coffee. Elise, originally from Michigan, oversees social media, the food program, and guest experience, while Matt, a New England native, leads roasting, coffee quality, brand, and wholesale. In today's episode we will be taking you from the first inkling that coffee was the path they should pursue, -through to today where they now have an 2 established cafes and a roasting operation that are continuing to grow. We discuss: * Life as design students, craft entrepreneurs, and the idea for coffee * The lessons from the Mobile Coffee Bar * Navigating Opportunities + The Power of Intuition * The Importance of Culture and a Great Team * Balancing Work and Relationship * Secrets of Partnership * Establishing Standards * The Role of Systems in Growth * Learning from Customers and Team * Quality Control at Scale * Why Entrepreneurs Need Confidence and Generosity

Links: https://origincoffee.bar/ https://www.instagram.com/origincoffee.bar Related Episodes:

SHIFT BREAK: Reassessing Growth
362: How to Handle Growth in Your Coffee Shop
514: Founder Friday! w/ Raoul Adwan of Thrd Coffee in Chicago, IL!
518: How to Run a Coffee Shop w/ Meaningful Hospitality

KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS 1:1 CONSULTING AND COACHING!

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