Community Highlights: Meet Danielle Blanton of Local Roots Coffee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Blanton.  

Hi Danielle, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Stephanie and I have been friends for almost two decades, beginning our friendship while bartending. In January 2017, we met for coffee for Stephanie’s birthday (something we did frequently to celebrate and catch up) and got to discussing how burned out we were with our current careers. I had been working at a bank for a few years, and she was still bartending. In our chat, we were daydreaming about owning our own coffee shop and local goods market, and afterwards we continued the conversation from daydream into a, “Hey, we could actually do this’ place. Local Roots opening in November 2017, less than a year after that first coffee date. In the time since we opened, we have survived a pandemic, scaled our business, and both separately opened other businesses and have joined other projects to help them do the same. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Entrepreneurship is never smooth, lol. Our first year was incredibly stressful, just like everyone’s. Through year two, we saw a large amount of growth, and by the middle of it, were met with a pandemic. Like, what the hell was that honestly? Fortunately for us, our community stood behind us, and when we came back from the shutdown, we were busier than we have ever been and have only continued to grow ever since. Every stage has come with its own share of struggles and highs. Surviving a first year is nothing but a struggle. Every year since then has presented new challenges we never could have anticipated. How do you market appropriately, and to who? How do keep up with social media trends? How do you finance expanding? How do you scale from mom & pop shop with owners as employees to a full staff? How do you run payroll? Pay your taxes? How do you prioritize finally stepping away at a certain point of growth? It’s all a struggle; it just changes based on what stage you’re in. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a local coffee shop located in Kernersville, specializing in local ingredients, food/bakery items, and retail. We are woman-owned and predominantly operated and have become ingrained in our community. We are best known for our commitment to our team of people, the people of Kernersville, and anyone who walks through our door. We take deep pride in the products we create, the atmosphere we maintain, and the connections we make every day. Brand-wise, we are proud that, just over five years in the game, we are well-known for our commitment to our name and the people of Kernersville. 

Alright, so before we go, can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The best support we can ever receive is from people spreading our name and helping us get in front of even more people than we are now! We work with local vendors, makers, photographers, realtors, insurance agents, and more all the time for crossover events and pop-ups! 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.localrootscoffeeshop.com
• Instagram: localrootscoffee_
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/localrootscoffeebarandgeneralstore

Image Credits
Sarah Coppley Photography
Vines Studios