Arizona State University sophomore Dylan Capshaw, 19, is making waves with Stemistry, a coffeehouse and flower boutique.<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2014 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,\u00a0Stemistry\u00a0\u2014 a shop that\u2019s equal parts coffeehouse and flower boutique.<\/p>\n
The idea behind Stemistry is simple, but striking: customers can walk in, purchase flowers by the stem, and sip on handcrafted coffee drinks \u2014 some of which are inspired by the blooms themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u2019t get enough of.<\/p>\n
Capshaw\u2019s entrepreneurial journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many others, he experimented with drop shipping and attempted to sell various tech products online.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRight around COVID everybody was trying to drop ship and all the internet money was popular,\u201d he recalled. \u201cI tried tech products, a bunch of different things. Nothing really stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBuy these aromatic branches, put them in your shower, eucalyptus \u2014 and they started selling,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
Demand grew so quickly that he needed to secure a warehouse. But Capshaw wasn\u2019t content with simply operating as a traditional florist. To stand out, he merged the floral business with a full-service coffee shop.<\/p>\n
He was still in high school when he opened his first store \u2014 complete with a hired staff \u2014 despite having never held a job before.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was hard for me, hiring at such a young age,\u201d he admitted. \u201cI\u2019ve never had a job before, so job interviews weren\u2019t the easiest when I was conducting them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now managing\u00a0two 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI called my attorney and asked him that \u2014 if someone under 21 could own a liquor license,\u201d he said with a laugh. \u201cThat\u2019s a question he\u2019d never been asked before. The answer is yes, technically.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to running his expanding business, Capshaw is a sophomore at ASU studying business, with ambitions for even larger ventures ahead.<\/p>\n
Do you have a favorite coffee shop? Send the shop information to connect@12news.com and they could be featured in our new segment.<\/p>\n
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