LGBT coffee shop named Small Business of the Year
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (AP) — A San Rafael-based coffee shop has become the first LGBT company honored as the Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The Press Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/1QQYmr9 ) that Equator Coffees & Teas was given the national award just one month after being named Small Business of the Year in California. The 21-year-old company began in 1995, when Brooke McDonnell and Helen Russell started roasting coffee in McDonnell's garage.
In a previous interview, Russell said she and McDonnell are "partners in life and in business," making Equator the first lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender business to win the award.
The company has grown to include 90 employees, 350 wholesale customers and three retail shops. The company expects to add three more stores by the end of the year.
___
Information from: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, http://www.pressdemocrat.com
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Gayly - 5/3/2016 @ 9:33 a.m. CDT