5 Stories of Entrepreneurs Making a Positive Impact in Food & Beverage Industry

The Food & Beverage (F&B) industry is an essential part of the global economy, playing a key role in how people connect, celebrate, and enjoy everyday life. From restaurants and catering services to specialty food products, the F&B sector delivers both nourishment and experience.

According to Statista, the global F&B industry is expected to surpass $8 trillion by 2026, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.6% through 2030. This growth is driven by rising demand for convenience, healthier food choices, and more sustainability-conscious practices. It reflects changing consumer values and expectations.

The following stories dive deep into the journeys of individuals and businesses that are redefining what it means to provide service in the F&B industry.

From Caterers to Restauranteurs: The Bartella’s Bold Move to Open Chino’s Mexican Restaurant

After more than 30 years in the steel industry, Ed Bartella was looking for something different. When he and his wife Christina, who had already established herself as an entrepreneur running a Service Master franchise, began catering for their local community, they found something they loved.

Ed and Christina’s cooking skills, shaped over years of family gatherings and home meals, soon caught the eye of a local steakhouse. They were invited to cater a Christmas party, serving enchiladas, rice, beans, and homemade tortillas to over 200 guests. The response was amazing – the food was such a hit that the restaurant asked them to cater again the next year.

The idea of opening a restaurant started in 2018, when Ed’s father, who was dealing with health issues, asked him about his future plans. Ed said that he wanted to open a restaurant. Sadly, his father passed away shortly after.

But just days later, something unexpected happened. Ed got a call from a mall manager who had heard about his catering success and offered him a spot in the food court. Without hesitation, Ed and Christina took the chance and opened their first restaurant in November 2018.

The restaurant was off to a strong start, especially during the Christmas season. However, as 2019 unfolded, business slowed, and the couple began considering their next move. That’s when they noticed a vacant Pizza Hut in the area, and the idea of transitioning to a brick-and-mortar restaurant took root.

Despite doubts about whether they could handle such a large venue, it felt like the right time. In March 2020, they made a handshake deal to lease the building – but then the world changed. The COVID-19 pandemic hit, and uncertainty loomed large.

2020 was a tough year. Ed and Christina couldn’t open their new restaurant right away and were stuck in limbo. But with determination and support from both the Nebraska Business Development Center and their local community, they kept moving forward.

 Spencer Rien from NBDC guided them through the ins and outs of running a business – helping with inventory, budgeting, and financial planning. Michelle Coolidge, Director of Twin City Development in Scottsbluff, helped them secure an LB840 grant to fund the project.

The community’s support didn’t stop there. Ed’s friends and family stepped in to help with the big renovations needed to turn the space into a real restaurant. His brother Joe came down from Iowa, his friend Travis donated his time, and many others pitched in with the remodel.

Ed was so grateful for everyone who volunteered their skills and time. It was a powerful reminder of how close the Bartella family is to their community.

After months of planning, delays, and hard work, Chino’s Mexican Restaurant finally opened on April 7th, 2021 – right in the middle of the pandemic. Despite the tough timing, Ed and Christina pushed through, and the restaurant quickly built a reputation for its delicious, authentic Mexican food.

“It’s been overwhelming, and we work our tails off, but I think we have a product people want,” Ed said.

Since then, they’ve stayed busy, operating seven days a week and finding success at events like car shows and Oregon Trail Days, along with steady support from both locals and visitors from all over the country.

From Personal Struggle to Community Hero: The Extraordinary Story of Bellden Café

Another inspiring story is about Bellden Café, a mission-driven haven in the heart of Bellevue. The concept behind Bellden Café was born out of Claire Sumadiwirya’s deeply personal experience while working in Shanghai, China. During a work assignment there, Claire’s newborn son became gravely ill, requiring weeks of hospitalization.

In Shanghai, the hospitals didn’t offer food on-site, and Claire was faced with the heartbreaking dilemma of leaving her son to find something to eat or even just a cup of coffee. One day, however, the hospital staff surprised her with a cup of coffee and homemade soup, allowing her to stay with her son without having to leave his side.

The impact of that kind gesture stayed with her long after she returned to Bellevue, and it inspired her to give back to her community in a meaningful way.

Thus, Bellden Café was born in 2017 – an embodiment of Claire’s vision to create a space that blended excellent coffee, wholesome food, and sincere hospitality with a focus on community-driven impact.

However, Claire’s journey to opening Bellden Café wasn’t easy. Like many entrepreneurs, she started her business with limited funds and had to juggle the pressures of building a business while raising three young children.

Faced with unforeseen construction expenses, Claire approached her bank for a business loan, but was denied. Instead of giving up, she dug deeper, researching alternative funding options to keep her dream alive.

In 2018, Claire secured a $50,000 SBA microloan from Business Impact Northwest, which became a pivotal moment for the business. The loan allowed Claire to expand her operations, grow her staff from five to 20 employees, and increase annual sales by 15-20% year after year.

The café’s success continued until the pandemic hit in March 2020, bringing with it the devastating reality of a 90% drop in sales. For many business owners, this would have been the end, but Claire was determined not to give up.

Thanks to the support of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds, Claire was able to keep her entire staff on payroll while maintaining her commitment to the community.

She quickly adapted the café’s operations to include takeout, contactless ordering, delivery, and curbside pickup, ensuring that customers could still enjoy the café’s offerings while staying safe.

At the same time, Bellden Café served as a hub for donations, providing coffee and pastries for frontline workers and distributing diapers and groceries to families in need. Through it all, Claire continued to fulfill her mission of supporting local charities, and her café became an even more integral part of the Bellevue community.

“Don’t be discouraged when you’re told no, do the research, find the resources that are available from the SBA. Dream bigger than what you think you can do. With the right support and resources, anything is possible,” she said.

Red Door Coffee: Where Homemade Pastries and Community Spirit Create a Perfect Blend

Back in the olden days, a painted red door on a house meant that inside was a place where you can seek refuge. And that’s exactly what Red Door Coffee owner Lynsi Steed wants her customers to experience – “a place that is inviting and comfortable and inclusive to everyone.”

Red Door Coffee has long been a fixture in the small, rural town of West Point, Nebraska. When it came up for sale, Steed saw it as the perfect opportunity to take her life-long love of baking into a brick-and-mortar business.

She never realized that she had an entrepreneurial spirit, but after “working all the years for all kinds of people in all kinds of places, I came to find out that I’m a ‘can’t do it your way’ type of person.”

Steed decided to take some classes at a local community college and started selling her baked goods out of her house to raise money for those classes. But with the baking came the eating, which introduced some health issues into the household.

When she learned Red Door Coffee was for sale, she knew it was time to jump. “I didn’t want to give up baking, so I figured out a way to do what I loved to do. I knew that in our little town a bakery couldn’t stand alone. There’s no way I could compete, so I wasn’t going to go that route anyway.”

“After all the research I did and selling the baked goods out of my home, I knew it wouldn’t be enough to support the brick and mortar and all the overhead it entails. The coffee shop was a no brainer in my mind. It just works.” she added.

Red Door Coffee offers a full line of coffee drinks and smoothies, and Steed bakes all the pastries herself, many of which are from her grandmothers’ recipes, including her favorite one for Banana Pudding. Her best seller by far are her decorated cakes.

“Everyone has a birthday and most of them want cake,” she says. And when they come in for coffee, “some people like to enjoy a slice of cake or pie that we make, so mostly a custom bakery is what I do. It really is perfect.”

But business ownership isn’t always perfection, of course. “COVID hit two or three months after I purchased the business and took it over. I barely got my toes wet and it all came down on me. All the things I prepared myself for, but that was not on the list,” Steed says of those hard times.

“But we did it. We worked through it. Our business didn’t falter really at all – we are blessed to be in a community that appreciates their small businesses and didn’t want to see us fail. So, they did everything they could,” she stated.

Thanks to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the unwavering support of her community, Steed was able to keep her business afloat, maintaining her staff and continuing to serve her customers.

“We are blessed to be in a community that appreciates their small businesses and didn’t want to see us fail,” she says.

As a new business owner, Steed has learned many valuable lessons along the way, and she shares these insights with others looking to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. “Don’t be afraid to fail,” she advises. “Failure doesn’t come unless you try, anyway. Give it your best shot and do your due diligence.”

What’s more, with the help of the Center For Rural Affairs (CFRA), Steed was able to secure a microloan to purchase the business and receive guidance on building a solid business plan. The support she received played a critical role in her success.

Looking ahead, Steed is excited about the future of Red Door Coffee. With plans to expand to surrounding towns and possibly open a second location, she remains focused on her true goal: to create a space that brings happiness to others.

“I’m not here to be rich. That was never the goal. I just want to be happy and make others happy,” Steed says.

Strength in Community: Chris Diebel Reflects on Bubba’s Role in Iowa’s LGBTQ Business Scene

Chris Diebel, the co-owner and managing partner of Bubba in Des Moines, has much to be proud of Pride Month.

For him, the resilience of the restaurant industry and the ongoing support for the LGBTQ community are at the forefront of his thoughts. As a leader in Iowa’s LGBTQ business community, Chris reflects on how far things have come, noting that the industry’s resilience remains strong, despite facing an especially challenging year.

His positive outlook is grounded in a deeper understanding of the importance of community and economic impact.

The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s “America’s LGBTQ Economy” report estimates that there are more than 1.4 million LGBTQ-owned businesses in the U.S., with a $1.7 trillion economic impact. Chris credits the hospitality industry’s long history as a safe refuge for the LGBTQ community.

Since its start in 2013 as a pop-up at Hoyt Sherman Place, Bubba has grown into a staple of Des Moines’ dining scene. The pop-up sold out every night, sparking Chris and his team to refine the southern food concept over the next three years.

It took another three years of planning and refining the southern food concept, as well as identifying the right location that made sense financially. Along the way, he worked tirelessly to revise the business plan, often consulting with industry mentors to ensure Bubba would thrive in the long term.

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Like many restaurants across the country, Bubba was forced to confront an unprecedented crisis. The business reorganized based on social distancing guidelines and offered a limited menu to control costs.

Thanks to two forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and a grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Bubba was able to keep the lights on, cover a lot of expenses, and bring back many of its 34 employees.

Governor Kim Reynolds’ decision to allow “to-go” cocktail sales also played a critical role in helping Bubba and many other restaurants stay afloat. Those sales provided a critical revenue stream for the restaurant industry when it needed a lifeline.

Chris is also grateful for the Iowa Restaurant Association’s advocacy throughout the pandemic, which kept its members informed of state and national policies and acted as a calming influence during a stressful period.

Though the pandemic’s effects are still being felt, Chris remains determined to keep Bubba thriving. Restaurants located in downtown Des Moines depend on the local workforce and business travelers for their lunch business.

Revenues are down with employees working remotely and not traveling. And the closures of several performing arts venues also had a domino effect on downtown restaurants.

As the restaurant industry continues to recover, Chris advises business owners to be ready for the next pandemic. One important lesson he learned is the importance of having enough cash reserves to keep the business running during a shutdown.

Despite the hardships, Chris cherishes the growth and wisdom that have come from the tough times. “I will take these lessons with me for the rest of my life,” Chris said. “No one person can do it alone.”

From Lottery-Like Opportunity to Business Ownership: Ashley Messenger’s Underdog BBQ Story

Ashley Messenger’s incredible journey began when she took a kitchen manager position at Underdog BBQ. Little did she know that this job offer would eventually play out on national television, marking the start of an unexpected entrepreneurial adventure.

“When I accepted, it was the scariest thing in my life,” Ashley admitted, reflecting on the pivotal moment that changed everything for her.

After months of hard work, Ashley had a chance to purchase the entire restaurant for just $100. “I had a better chance of winning the lottery than this happening to me,” she said with a smile. This surprising opportunity came from Glenn Stearns, the then-owner, who was actually scouting for a new owner as part of the television series Undercover Billionaire.

The 2019 season of Undercover Billionaire followed Stearns as he set out to build a million-dollar business in Erie, Pennsylvania, with nothing but $100 and no contacts. His success relied heavily on Ashley, her brother, and the entire team at Underdog BBQ.

In the season finale, Stearns remarked: “They say the cream rises to the top and that was Ashley, she made a big impression on me.”

Ashley, now 30, quickly embraced the challenge of owning a restaurant. A member of the LGBTQI+ community, she values inclusivity and diversity within her business. “The biggest thing I want people to know is we’re all inclusive at Underdog BBQ,” she said.

While working behind the scenes at the startup eatery, Ashley was inspired by her mentor to seek out resources that would help her succeed. She started working with the Gannon University Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a partner in her journey.

SBDCs, funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), provide free business counseling to entrepreneurs at every stage of development.

“I meet with Director Maggie Horne and the team each week,” Ashley explained. “They help me expand my mind and work through transitions. I always feel better when I walk out of there and I’m glad the SBA is inclusive and provides the opportunity for everyone to start a small business.”

When Ashley took ownership of the restaurant, she faced immediate challenges, including a severe snowstorm that forced the restaurant to close. However, she turned this setback into an opportunity by developing new revenue streams.

She purchased a used fire truck, transforming it into a food truck that now serves both off-site catering and mobile BBQ options.

Ashley is also working to expand Underdog BBQ’s social media presence, attract more customers, and grow its footprint in the local tourist market. To support these efforts, she collaborated with a local social media firm, further elevating her brand’s reach.

SBA Western Pa. District Director Dr. Kelly Hunt observed the power of small business partnerships, noting: “Working together creates an entrepreneurial ecosystem that truly fosters growth and fuels new ideas. The end result is an economic ripple that creates more Main Street business, employment opportunities and economic growth and a sense of place.”

One year after acquiring Underdog BBQ, Ashley continues to innovate. She introduced new menu options, such as burgers and salads, and launched an Underdog to-go service to meet the needs of customers in the Lake Erie area.

With a passion for cooking since the age of 15, Ashley holds degrees in culinary arts and hospitality management from Mercyhurst College. She blends her education with hands-on experience, personally overseeing the barbecue pit, preparing scratch-made signature sides, and interacting with customers.

“That’s important to me because I want to make sure everyone here is happy,” she said.

To keep her customers engaged, Ashley and her team have also been experimenting with new signature sauces. “I’ve been pairing different combinations like raspberry and chipotle and rotate the new lines on tables along with our signature sauces,” she shared. “I want to give our customers the chance to offer feedback.”

For Ashley, the kitchen is more than just a workplace; it’s a second home. “I went through some tough times in my teen years and started cooking,” she revealed. “It became a comforting and creative outlet for me. And I noticed people come together over food.”