The owner of the trailer said the generator, a key piece of equipment, was stolen.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Ashley Preston had been looking forward to the grand opening of her new business, Coastal Coffee, a specialty coffee trailer in Fort Worth along Nursery Lane.
But on the morning after her first day of business, she arrived to find her trailer had been broken into.
“When I got here this morning, both of these doors were open,” said Preston.
Among the stolen items was the trailer’s generator, valued at roughly $2,500. Without it, Preston said she can’t serve customers, despite passing out more than 4,000 flyers in the neighborhood to promote the opening.
“As a business owner, there’s a lot of anxiety that does come up when you make a promise to customers and you can’t deliver on it,” she said.
Fort Worth police confirmed they’re still in the early stages of investigating the theft. Preston believes replacing the generator could set her back at least a week.
She said it’s not only expensive but also difficult to find due to its size and demand.
Even amid disappointment, Preston said she’s been encouraged by neighbors walking by, offering to help and promising to become regular customers.
“All of these community members that have walked past… offering to help, saying that they want to be regulars,” she said.
Despite the frustration, Preston is determined to keep moving forward.
“I’m hopeful that tomorrow we can find one and find a different way to secure it,” she said about a new generator.
For now, Coastal Coffee’s grand opening is on hold, but Preston said this is only the beginning for her Fort Worth coffee venture.