Eco-Bean Hits Milestone in Tarpon

Five years ago, Rachel Gause and her cousin Audrey Buggle embarked on a journey that would become much more than a job or career. The duo agree that while Eco-Bean Coffee House has hit its fifth year in business, the shop has brought a lot personal growth as well as friends they now consider family.

When asked how it feels to be hitting the five year mark as a thriving business in Tarpon Springs, Rachel Gause said, "there are really no words for it, it just feels amazing."

Things weren't always as fluid at "the Bean" as they are now. Gause, who's the owner and Buggle, the store manager said they can both attest to that.

Before Eco-Bean came along, Lighthouse Coffee occupied the building. Five years ago, the owners decided to sell and Gause's husband, David asked her what she thought of taking it over.

Gause, 35, said she never envisioned owning a coffee shop nor did she know anything about the trade.

"I remember thinking 'I don't even drink coffee, I drink tea," Gause recalled. 

She rolled with it and said they decided to take it on full force. And by full force, Gause meant Lighthouse coffee never closing, but just sort of morphing into the Eco-Bean that Tarponites know and love today.

Gause and Buggle said they had a sort of "coffee Bible" full of how-tos for espresso, lattes and other coffee drinks they had never made.

Buggle, 25, said customers were part of the glue that held Eco-Bean together from the very beginning. 

"If it weren't for people being so incredibly patient with us, I don't think we would have even made it past six months," Buggle said.

Drinks had to be looked up in the "coffee Bible" before being prepared because of the duo's lack of experience. They said passion and hard work combined with a bit of improvisation paid off in the long run.

According to Gause, the inexperience lasted about a millisecond in the grand scheme of the business and was probably the best way to hit the ground running.

With 2008 arguably being the "beginning of the end" in terms of the economy, Gause said Eco-Bean's survival is rooted in the energy, staff and company the shop breeds.

"I've had a lot of people tell me that this place is the spiritual hub of Tarpon Springs," Gause said. "We are very proud of that."

Like a lot of small businesses, Gause and Buggle spent much of Eco-Beans's first year inside the store, from working 14 hours days to hosting events.

Gause found her niche when she decided to take her previous experience from working at a natural food store and put it to work at Eco-Bean.

"From the beginning I wanted to put a healthy spin on it," Gause said.

Although coffee is a staple at Eco-Bean, the establishment's claim to fame is its unique mix of health conscious offerings.

Raw juice concoctions, real fruit smoothies and gluten free baked goods are what draw folks in. And more importantly, it's what keeps them coming back.

Fair trade, organic coffee is just the whipped cream on top. 

After finding huge success in Tarpon Springs, Gause said she has been approached by a number of investors interested in expanding the brand.

Gause said she is more than satisfied with where Eco-Bean is today and that the purpose of it wasn't to get rich.

"Honestly, we wanted to do this to pay for our kids' private school and their college education," Gause said.

In the future, she hopes to possibly open a few more locations. But Gause said her family is the top priority and that taking time away from them is not on her agenda.

"I do have a vision of it being bigger because I think the world needs it," Gause said. 

Eco-Bean is celebrating its five year anniversary from 3-9 p.m. today. Click here for all the details.

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