Connect How did your love story begin?

We were both juniors in high school, and one day, Brett and I were alone by our lockers, and I fully expected him to ask me to prom. Instead, he told me all about the omelettes he was going to make in culinary class the next period. Total missed opportunity, but he made up for it when he did ask me a day later. Our first date was junior prom, and when he picked me up that night and held my hand, he never let go. Through it all, we’ve held on tight for 25 years now.

What is your favorite memory you've shared as a couple?

We’d love to say the birth of our two children, which is absolutely true, but we always try to remember we were Mari and Brett before we were Mom and Dad. We’d have to say it’s the moment we finally purchased our dream- a mobile coffee trailer in the Tampa Bay area. We haven’t always had it easy, and we worked hard together through so many years as teachers to finally open our own business. To be able to work side by side, in our small little town, sharing our love of coffee with our community.

What would you do with $20,000?

We’d take our two children on an absolutely EPIC vacation first and foremost because they deserve it and we don’t get a lot of time to just relax. And then we’d put the rest right back into our business that we built from the ground up- we’d love to see how we could expand and grow and get more of our coffee into as many people’s hands as possible!