Arizona State University sophomore Dylan Capshaw, 19, is making waves with Stemistry, a coffeehouse and flower boutique.

PHOENIX — At just 19 years old, Arizona State University sophomore Dylan Capshaw is already making a name for himself in the business world with his creative venture, Stemistry — a shop that’s equal parts coffeehouse and flower boutique.

The idea behind Stemistry is simple, but striking: customers can walk in, purchase flowers by the stem, and sip on handcrafted coffee drinks — some of which are inspired by the blooms themselves. 

Menu highlights include the Rose Latte, the Flower Garden Latte, and the Instagram-famous 24-Karat Gold Latte, topped with edible gold leaf that influencers can’t get enough of.

Capshaw’s entrepreneurial journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many others, he experimented with drop shipping and attempted to sell various tech products online. 

“Right around COVID everybody was trying to drop ship and all the internet money was popular,” he recalled. “I tried tech products, a bunch of different things. Nothing really stuck.”

While stuck at home, Capshaw turned his attention to landscaping and found an unexpected opportunity in the olive and eucalyptus trees growing in his yard. Marketing the aromatic branches as shower enhancers, he quickly found buyers. 

“Buy these aromatic branches, put them in your shower, eucalyptus — and they started selling,” he explained.

Demand grew so quickly that he needed to secure a warehouse. But Capshaw wasn’t content with simply operating as a traditional florist. To stand out, he merged the floral business with a full-service coffee shop.

He was still in high school when he opened his first store — complete with a hired staff — despite having never held a job before. 

“That was hard for me, hiring at such a young age,” he admitted. “I’ve never had a job before, so job interviews weren’t the easiest when I was conducting them.”

Now managing two stores, Capshaw is already planning his next move. He is in the process of obtaining a liquor license for his locations, aiming to serve alcoholic beverages by August.

“I called my attorney and asked him that — if someone under 21 could own a liquor license,” he said with a laugh. “That’s a question he’d never been asked before. The answer is yes, technically.”

In addition to running his expanding business, Capshaw is a sophomore at ASU studying business, with ambitions for even larger ventures ahead.

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