A coffee business built inside a horse trailer sounds like a cute idea until you hear what it takes to make it real. We’re joined by Lori Traficanti, founder of Sipping Sunshine Cafe, to break down how she launched Goochland’s only independent coffee business and turned a mobile espresso bar into a growing brand outside Richmond, Virginia.

We talk about why coffee was the right product, how the “Sipping Sunshine” name comes from a real family routine, and what makes a mobile coffee trailer a smart point of entry compared to a traditional brick-and-mortar coffee shop. Lori gets specific about the operational decisions that matter: choosing a consistent weekday location, building repeat traffic, and creating a customer experience that feels like an establishment, not a pop-up.

Then we get into the part most people don’t see. Lori walks through the health department process, ServSafe certification, inspections, and the small details that can delay your opening even when you think your setup is “already certified.” We also dig into startup costs, the value of investing in branding early, and what changes when you go from doing everything yourself to hiring staff, writing SOPs, and systemizing hospitality.

If you’re thinking about starting a mobile food or beverage business, scaling a local small business, or building a coffee brand the right way, this one is packed with real-world lessons. Subscribe, share this with an entrepreneur friend, and leave a review so more builders can find the show.

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