Hidden Gems: Meet James Anderson of The Corner Mobile Coffee

Today we’d like to introduce you to James Anderson.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My business partner, Chloe No, and I first conceived the idea of our business while working as English teachers in Northwest Seoul. We found ourselves consistently inspired by the aesthetic and ethic of the innumerable cafes in South Korea’s capital city and decided that we would try to share that with the folks back in my home state of North Carolina. Chloe still lives in her hometown, Seoul City, Korea, and is decidedly the brains of the operation, while I work the van and make coffee out on the street.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Anyone who says that starting a business is easy is either lying or trying to sell you something. From raising capital to finding the right bank and POS system to paring down your vision into a cohesive plan of action, there is a pretty high learning curve with this stuff.

I think that the first thing that a lot of folks find when they are starting a business is just the relative dearth of information about how to, y’know, get started. There are certainly resources out there, but given that each business is unique, the checklist ends up having quite a few addendums, footers, and question marks added in the margins. We have the added obstacle of being an international business partnership, so communication isn’t always easy due to the wildly different time zones we live in.

That being said, when I look back on the last two years, it’s amazing the parts of the job that just become stock knowledge and native to the day-to-day operation of the business. I think it behooves us to have a healthy amount of humility when we think about the parts of being a business owner that seem like smooth sailing, and how that felt nearly herculean not so long ago.

As you know, we’re big fans of The Corner Mobile Coffee. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are The Corner Mobile Coffee! We are a mammoth sprinter van that has been built out to support a full coffee shop ready for curbside service.

Our customers know us as the home of the Seoul Latte, a signature coffee drink made with a secret ingredient from Korea, and as the friendliest downtown hang in the Bull City. On top of being one of the go-to places for an excellent cup of coffee, we also live up to our name and stay as ambulant as possible. You can catch us keeping folks caffeinated at block parties, concerts, weddings, holiday events, food truck rodeos, you name it!

I love making coffee, and I feel deeply connected to the process. Coffee can be an indulgence, a respite, or a lifeline, and I aspire to provide my customers with a drink that matches that individual need. I don’t care if you need something with caramel and whipped cream or the most austere double espresso, you will receive what you want with a genuine smile from me. Come and see us for your coffee needs, whether that’s a cup of Joe on your way to the grind or a catered treat for your clients, we got you.

What matters most to you? Why?
That’s a big question that I don’t know if I have a single answer for. I believe empathy to be one of the most important tools that we have as human beings. It allows us to form a basis for understanding one another, and from there it provides us with the building blocks for critical thinking.

So much of the pop knowledge around business and society would have us believe that assertiveness and dominance are what drives human success, but I think it’s our ability to collaborate and find common ground that has made us so indefatigably innovative as a species.

While I don’t believe empathy to be a panacea for strife and conflict (it should be a part of the journey, not the destination), it is incredibly important to me to understand the people around me as whole beings with their own struggles and joys, and for that same acknowledgment to be afforded back to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: thecornermobilecoffee.com
• Instagram: @thecornermobilecoffee
• Facebook: The Corner Mobile Coffee
• Twitter: @TCMC_NC

Image Credits
City Boy PR