The content you're trying to view is for members eyes only. Please log in or apply for membership to view more. Questions? Check out our FAQ page.
Already a member? Log In
Imagine you frequent a local coffee shop, meet the love of your life, and open your own coffee shop together…
No, we’re not describing a blockbuster rom-com or Hallmark’s next feature film, we’re talking about the wildly true story of one of our very own members. We chatted with Well Traveled member Ali Ringer and her husband Chris about finding love and founding Little Lunch, her very own coffee shop located in Venice, California.
Ali: Chris was the manager at a local coffee shop down in Huntington Beach called AoSA Coffee and I happened to live at the apartment complex down the street. At the time, I had a blog and would frequent the coffee shop to write. I thought he was cute and would daydream about the day we would get together and open a coffee shop I could write in all day. All just a dream at this point, but little did I know that DREAMS COME TRUE.
We stayed in touch for a few years after Chris had moved on from the coffee shop near me. Then he posted this gourmet-looking meal on Instagram, and I of course invited myself over. We finally started dating shortly after!
Ali: In 2019, Chris was the Director of Operations at another coffee shop and moved to West Hollywood to open a second location. I followed him for the move, but when everything shut down in 2020, this coffee shop closed too.
Chris decided he was going to look for a new job after a few months and reached out to his network to let them know he would be moving on. One of the vendors told him they had an idea for a new shop and would like to bring him on as a partner – that idea was Little Lunch.
We moved to Santa Monica where Chris began working on the build-out for Little Lunch and I began building my Life Coaching Business, Recov.her.y Life Coaching. I realized my dream of working and writing from our own coffee shop was coming true!
Chris: What fuels my passion for coffee the most are the communities that surround it. Coffee is often a daily ritual, so you can really get to know people beyond their usual order. I also love to educate folks on the impressive journey that coffee has, from bean to cup. Coffee passes through more hands than any other commodity on the planet!
Chris: I was a manager for Blockbuster Video for years, so when that ship sunk I pivoted to coffee. I very quickly drew comparisons between regular customers and the relationships I would build beyond the job with them. Now, living in Venice where Little Lunch Coffee is, it brings me a lot of joy to be appreciated as a caretaker of our community, and run into regulars while grocery shopping, dining out, attending events, etc.
Ali: When we travel together we love checking out foodie cities, especially ones with specialty coffee shops. It’s definitely our thing we love to do together! We also love visiting communities where everything is within walking distance – the people, the restaurants, the culture, the coffee – and get to experience it just like the locals do.
Being full-time business owners can be tiring, so outside of finding great food and community we really like to relax on vacation – less is more is our vibe!
Chris: Honorable mentions to my friends at @aosacoffee @proudmaryusa @madlabcoffee @dogppl.co
Chris: So much! We will never rest in the pursuit of striving to elevate how we take care of people. By the end of summer, we’ll have taken our coffee roasting in-house and launched our e-commerce and subscription platform!
Ali: With us both being entrepreneurs, the sky's the limit. We are so excited to be on this journey together and cannot wait to see not only what our businesses can turn into, but are ready for even more entrepreneurial adventures to come!
Founder of Recov.her.y Life Coaching & Owner of Little Lunch Coffee. Lover of the beach, coffee, and boutique hotels.
View All Posts
Join Our Community to See More
The content you're trying to view is for members eyes only. Please log in or apply for membership to view more. Questions? Check out our FAQ page .