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'We gotta keep going': Benson coffee shop owners look to the future

It hasn't been long since Dripped + Draped closed in Benson, but the owners are looking to the future. The business, known for its pink building and colored lattes, opened March 13, 2020, the day before the pandemic state of emergency.

'We gotta keep going': Benson coffee shop owners look to the future

It hasn't been long since Dripped + Draped closed in Benson, but the owners are looking to the future. The business, known for its pink building and colored lattes, opened March 13, 2020, the day before the pandemic state of emergency.

ABBIE: I HIM HERE -- I AM HERE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE STORE, SOON THEY WON’T BE HERE ANYMORE. BUT THINGS AREN’T OVER FOR THE BUSINESS. TONIGHT, THEY HE ALDN EVENT HERE THEY SAY TH’T'S JUST THE START OF THEIR NEW CHAPTER. IT HASN’T BEEN LONG SINCE DRIPPED AND DRAPED CLOSED IN BENSON, BUT THE OWNERSRE A LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. THE BUSINESS KNOWN FOR ITS PKIN BUILDING AND COLORED LATTES OPENED MARCH 13 OF 2020, THE DAY BEFORE THE PANDEMIC STATE OF EMERGENCY. >> JUST OPENING A BUSINESS IS A ROUGH ROLLERCOASTER RIDE, AND WHEN WE GOT HIT WITH THAT,E WERE LIK"SE KKRTTT" WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? BECAUSE NO ONE COULD HELP THAT. ABBIE: THE SISTERS SAY THELACK B LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT BROUGHT IN A LOT OF BUSINESS. THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD HELPHEM T SURVIVE, BUT IT WAS NOT ENOU.GH >> SALES JUST PLUMMETED MONTH TO MONTH AND YOU KNOW IT JUST GOT WORSE EACH MONTH AND FINALLY MY SISTER AND I HAD TO MAKE THAT DECISION. ABBIE: CALDWELL TELLS ME TYHE THOUGHT BACK TO WHY THEY STAEDRT THE BUSINESS IN THE FIRST PLACE MEWON. >> WHETHER THAT BE THE CLOTHES THAT YOU WEAR, YOU CAN BE SASSY OR EXPRESS YOURSELF AND FIER,CE AND THE DRINKS WE WANTEDSEHO T TO EMPOWER WOMEN TOO, WITH THE HEALTH BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING THAT COMES ALONG WITH THAT. ABBIE: THEY STARTED THEIR NEXT CHAPTER TUESDAY NIGHT WITH THE EVENT "LI’S E'A DRIP A CONVERSATION WITH WONME ENTREPRENEURS. >> THIS IS ACTUALLY A TRANSFORMATION FOR US, TO SEE WHE ERTHIS LEADS, WE WANT TO START DOING WORKSHOPS NEXTND A START WORKING HANDS ON WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WITH OTHER WOMEN LIKE US. ABBIE: WHILE THIS PINK SPACE WILL GO AWAY, THBO SISTERS OWN OTHEBUR SINESSES AND THEY’RE COMMITTED TO A BRIGHT FUTURE. >> OK, WE GOTTA FIX OUR CROWNS. WE GOTTA GET UP, AND WE GOTTA KEEP GOING. ABE:BI I ASKED THE OWNERS WITH THE PLANS ARE FOR THE COFFEE, THEY TELL ME IT IS NOT THE END FOR THAT EITHER. THEY HAVE SOME ANNOUNCEMENT
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'We gotta keep going': Benson coffee shop owners look to the future

It hasn't been long since Dripped + Draped closed in Benson, but the owners are looking to the future. The business, known for its pink building and colored lattes, opened March 13, 2020, the day before the pandemic state of emergency.

It hasn't been long since Dripped + Draped closed in Benson, but the owners are looking to the future. The business, known for its pink building and colored lattes, opened March 13, 2020, the day before the pandemic state of emergency. "Just opening a business is a rough roller coaster ride. And when we got hit with that, we were like 'skkrttt...' What are we supposed to do ... because no one could help that," said co-owner Vanelle Littrell. The owners, who are sisters, say the Black Lives Matter movement brought in a lot of business. They thought it would help them survive, but it was not enough. "Sales just plummeted month to month and it just got worse each month. And finally, my sister and I had to make that decision," said co-owner Vandra Caldwell. Caldwell said they thought back to why they started the business in the first place, women. "Whether that be the clothes that you wear, you can be sassy or express yourself and fierce, and the drinks we wanted those to empower women too, with the health benefits and everything that comes along with that," Caldwell said.They started their next chapter Tuesday night with the event 'Life's a Drip', a conversation with women entrepreneurs. "This is actually a transformation for us, to see where this leads, we want to start doing workshops next and start working hands-on with the community and really with other women like us," Caldwell said.While this pink space will go away, both sisters own other businesses and they're committed to a bright future. "OK, we got to fix our crowns. We got to get up and we gotta keep going," Littrell said.

It hasn't been long since Dripped + Draped closed in Benson, but the owners are looking to the future.

The business, known for its pink building and colored lattes, opened March 13, 2020, the day before the pandemic state of emergency.

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"Just opening a business is a rough roller coaster ride. And when we got hit with that, we were like 'skkrttt...' What are we supposed to do ... because no one could help that," said co-owner Vanelle Littrell.

The owners, who are sisters, say the Black Lives Matter movement brought in a lot of business. They thought it would help them survive, but it was not enough.

"Sales just plummeted month to month and it just got worse each month. And finally, my sister and I had to make that decision," said co-owner Vandra Caldwell.

Caldwell said they thought back to why they started the business in the first place, women.

"Whether that be the clothes that you wear, you can be sassy or express yourself and fierce, and the drinks we wanted those to empower women too, with the health benefits and everything that comes along with that," Caldwell said.

They started their next chapter Tuesday night with the event 'Life's a Drip', a conversation with women entrepreneurs.

"This is actually a transformation for us, to see where this leads, we want to start doing workshops next and start working hands-on with the community and really with other women like us," Caldwell said.

While this pink space will go away, both sisters own other businesses and they're committed to a bright future.

"OK, we got to fix our crowns. We got to get up and we gotta keep going," Littrell said.