Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1534494
8 Worcester Business Journal | April 21, 2025 | wbjournal.com PHOTO | EDD COTE Brewin' up a business In a sea of competition & rising prices, four co- founders are turning their small coffee shop into a community place off Worcester's June Street BY ERIC CASEY WBJ Managing Editor I t's not hard to find a cup of coffee in Worcester. In a city with 27 Dunkin's, five Starbucks, and countless other diners, small chains, independent shops, and gas stations serving coffee, competing to win a fair share of morning commuters and others looking for a caffeine-infused pick-me-up could seem like a daunting task. But in a retail space on June Street, four locals have banded together to form Cordella's coffee shop. Opened in April 2024, the shop has navigated challenges like local permitting and climbing coffee prices to quickly move toward becoming a staple of the neighborhood, regularly drawing around 80 customers a day to its cozy confines. One key ingredient in the shop's suc- cess is fairly straightforward: its focus on high-quality brews. "eir coffee knowledge goes beyond what most people probably understand," said Josh Cormier, wholesaler for Or- ange-based Dean's Beans Organic Coffee. Beyond the quality of the coffee, Cor- della's has made its mark by becoming a third place, a place where locals can relax and connect outside of home and work. "ey're extremely good at what they do, and they've created a vibe in there that is super inviting to everybody," Cormier said. Not resting on their laurels, Cordella's ownership embarked on a bold crowd- sourced fundraising campaign kicked off on the business' one year anniversary on April 1. e goal of the campaign is to allow the shop to tear down the walls and expand into the abutting retail spaces, which further amplifies the business' ability to be an all-day gathering place for the neighborhood , with the end goal of creating space for a bar and food options craed on-site, Born without a middle name Cordella's is the brainchild of Husband and wife Andy Jimison and Jess Rao, along with Ellie Ellis and Alecia Bishop, opened Cordella's coffee shop in April 2024. PHOTO | COUTESY OF CORDELLA'S