Food & Beverage Archives - America's SBDC

America’s SBDC Blog

A “Forbes 100 Best Websites for Entrepreneurs”

Brewing Connection and Community at Java Moon

October 1, 2025

When Megan Cook acquired Java Moon in December 2021, her intention was to preserve the cherished legacy of the historic business in downtown Sheridan, while infusing it with a dynamic energy to propel it forward. For years, Megan had dreamed of owning a business downtown with a communal ambience. “I wanted to create a welcoming vibe where people can come to gather, to meet with friends and enjoy great food,” she explains. The menu at Java Moon ranges from made-from-scratch pastries to hearty lunch options and bespoke catering.

Community Ties, Relationship with UGA SBDC Leads to Growth for Restaurant Franchise

September 25, 2025

Like many small business owners, Purvi Patel, a franchise owner of fast-casual Mexican grill Dos Bros, was struggling to keep her restaurant going during the pandemic. After attending a University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC) class on small business funding and pandemic resources, Patel set up a meeting with UGA SBDC business advisor Nora Guzman to help guide her through the pandemic funding process.

Patel’s relationship with UGA SBDC in Rome has grown to focus on other areas of the business, from business financials and marketing plans to expanding catering options and streamlining the ordering process. Today, Dos Bros has added two more franchise locations and has seen a significant growth in revenue.

“I helped them navigate how to get funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and helped them figure out the loan forgiveness process, but our relationship has expanded since,” said Guzman. “Anytime Purvi has business-related questions, she knows she can call me.”

Flying Leap Vineyards: A Veteran-Owned Winery Soaring to New Heights with SBDC Support

November 18, 2024

Flying Leap Vineyards is a remarkable success story of a veteran-owned small business taking flight in the Arizona wine industry. Founded in 2010 by three lifelong friends from the U.S. Air Force Academy – Mark Beres, Marc Moeller, and Tom Kitchens – the company has grown from a small-scale wine grape farming operation to a thriving winery and distillery, thanks in large part to the support of the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

From Stay-at-Home Mom to Baking Empire: Bakety Bake’s Success Story

June 24, 2024

Kourney Post started Bakety Bake in 2018, just after having her 4th baby as a way to earn extra income and be creative. It began as a home-based bakery, where she sold custom decorated sugar cookies. After baking and decorating thousands of sugar cookies, she found the market was really lacking a meringue powder for making royal icing that was easy to use and didn’t taste like cardboard. After months of experimenting in her home kitchen, she developed a recipe for meringue powder that quickly became a staple in her cookie business. She started selling her meringue powder to local bakers, and then connected with a cookie-based Facebook group, where her sales suddenly and dramatically increased literally overnight. She quickly outgrew her home kitchen and had to find solutions to make larger quantities faster. Sales grew from $2,000 to $100,000 within a year.