The Fresh Story

The crazy learning curve of Fresh really started when my husband and I opened our first business together in 2003 - Ragamuffin Coffee House, our place of warm welcome and delicious coffee. And…the famous ragaMUFFIN. We spent 6 months building out and decorating a beautiful (big!) riverfront space to serve people with lots of kindness and some delicious coffee. In time my husband was nicknamed “coffee man” in the Fox Valley where we lived and worked. He is, by far, one of the most genuine and friendly people I’ve ever met. This sincerity created the heart of the Ragamuffin. For four years we pulled very long hours, drinking lots of espresso, and livin’ the dream. Our three children were right there with us. 

In time, we realized that coffee was not quite profitable enough and we started looking for ways to add to the beauty of the Ragamuffin and keep our family financially healthy. On a spring break trip to Huatulco, Mexico we met a young man who said his name was  "Angel" on the beach. That was our first Fresh moment. Angel sold us 20 or so pieces of sterling silver jewelry that we took back to the Ragamuffin and sold (at US prices) to our ever growing customer base of ladies. We sold Angel’s jewelry in one day and the light bulb went off! The next time we traveled to the historic town in Mexico with silver mines, and brought back hundreds of pieces of jewelry - We sold them in a week!  

Troy, who lived in Mexico for two years as a younger man, thought this was grand. Any excuse to frequently be in one of his favorite countries was his cup of tea (or coffee, lol). So our adventure began, taking shape really by itself, and leading us down the road of retail and wholesale business development with a huge splash of creativity for me.  That’s my wheelhouse, and soon I’ll tell you more…. 

(Stay tuned for part 2)