Focus on Black-owned Businesses: Coffee craving prompts Macedonia couple to open shop

April Helms, Akron Beacon Journal
·3 min read
Brittany and Dre Wiley, owners of the Mocha Coffee Co., inside the recently opened coffee shop in Macedonia.
Brittany and Dre Wiley, owners of the Mocha Coffee Co., inside the recently opened coffee shop in Macedonia.

MACEDONIA — It all started with a coffee craving.

When Brittany and Dre Wiley decided to take a break from talking with their home builder to get a cup of coffee, they made a discovery about Macedonia, the place they were going to call home.

"We discovered there was no local coffee shop," Brittany said.

The Wileys, both 33, decided to do something about the lack of a local java house and opened Mocha Coffee Co. on 777 E. Aurora Road in Macedonia. The company had its grand opening and ribbon cutting on Dec. 2.

"We are coffee and wine people," Brittany said. "As soon as we noticed that void in the community, we wanted to fill that void."

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Opening one business during a global pandemic would be noteworthy enough, but the Wileys also opened Magna Wine Boutique locations in Bedford in May 2020 and in Cuyahoga Falls in January 2021.

Brittany is president and Dre vice president of Magna Wine.

A coffee and cold brew at the Mocha Coffee Co., owned by Brittany and Dre Wiley, in Macedonia.
A coffee and cold brew at the Mocha Coffee Co., owned by Brittany and Dre Wiley, in Macedonia.

"Dre and I have been in adult beverages for pretty much over a decade," Brittany said. "We both have worked for huge companies, basically the leaders in adult beverages. We love wine and hospitality."

At Mocha Coffee Co., Brittany said that they "source our beans from quality locations." For example, they serve a light roast from beans from Ethiopia, and a dark roast from Columbia.

Mocha Coffee also serves teas and hot chocolate.

One specialty is their mocha.

"The mocha is definitely extra special," she said. "The Honeybee latte is extra special."

Another highlight, Brittany said, is that the staff also is local.

"Dre and I have lived in Northeast Ohio basically all of our lives," she said. "We bought our first home in Bedford, and our first business was in Bedford. It's all about community for us."

Coffee products for sale at the Mocha Coffee Co., owned by Brittany and Dre Wiley, in Macedonia.
Coffee products for sale at the Mocha Coffee Co., owned by Brittany and Dre Wiley, in Macedonia.

Brittany said that she and Dre are largely self-taught when it comes to coffee and wine.

"We've been to hundreds of wineries through our lifetime," she said.

Brittany said she has an MBA in finance and has taught at Cleveland State University.

In the future, Brittany said she would like to start a coffee subscription service, where they send their coffee blends through the mail "to help build brand recognition."

What's their key to starting a successful business?

"Be patient," Brittany said. "Be sure that the business that you start is the business you love. Many just go into business to make money, and many of those fail."

At a glance

Business: Mocha Coffee Co.

Owner: Brittany and Dre Wiley

Started: December 2021

Phone number: 330-468-3480

Website: https://www.mochamacedonia.com

About the series

The Beacon Journal is profiling Black-owned businesses in Summit County. Read more of these profiles at https://bit.ly/3jb0h1e. The Beacon Journal will continue to highlight minority-owned businesses as part of its ongoing regular coverage.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Husband and wife team open locally owned coffee shop in Macedonia