Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Bunnett.
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Stephanie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My mother, Nicola and I both moved from Zimbabwe, along with my younger brother and stepped dad, in 2007. Of course, it was a huge culture shock, as well as the hardest thing any of us had ever experienced. Zimbabwe was (and still is) going through terrible political unrest, hyperinflation, and just unsafe and trying times in general. We fled our country with no more than a suitcase filled with only a few items we could fit. Even though we were fortunate enough to leave and start a new life here in the USA, Zimbabwe will forever hold a special place in our hearts and is one of the main driving forces for starting our business.
When we first moved here, we were of course, in the headspace of just trying to get settled, make friends, establish a community, and essentially move on from our old lives. To say it was difficult is an understatement. I was 16 when we moved here and trying to adjust to high school in this country was hard enough; I can’t imagine the pressure my parents must have felt trying to start their lives over and support my brother and I.
My mother worked in an African art gallery owned by an ex Zimbabwean – which would later lend to her gallery experience and one of the main prongs of our business model. I ended up going to University to study Biology, Chemistry, and Pre-Med. Going to medical school was the goal and ironically, I never even took a single business class. However, after I graduated I decided that I actually didn’t want to pursue a career in medicine and to pass the time and earn a bit of money (instead of sitting on my parents couch) I got a job at Starbucks – which turned out to be the second major prong in our business model.
In the summer of 2015, over a cup of coffee, my mother and I decided to finally follow our dream of opening a business together. A business focused on community, humanitarian efforts, and ultimately, LOVE. This is how Kunjani was born.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We have been extremely blessed throughout our journey and we attribute it all to our faith. However, as with any small business trying to open and establish itself in an affluent town dominated by chains and franchises, we were met with challenges.
Even though we have been open for approximately four years, we still have people who come in and say they didn’t know we existed (even though they literally drive past every day). We had a lot of people, in the beginning, ask us who we thought we were trying to compete with Starbucks, or how did we think we were going to change people’s minds or routines when it came to coffee. Our answer was and still is the same – we have never tried to compete with Starbucks because our business model is completely different and we are completely different.
Although, that did not stop us from having to sit outside on our patio in the early days and pretend to be customers drinking coffee, just to try and show people we were there and that we were open.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Kunjani Craft Coffee & Gallery – what should we know?
As I have already mentioned my mother and I opened Kunjani together in February 2016. Kunjani is both a Zulu and Xhosa word, which translates directly to “How is it?” However, this word is used more colloquially as a general greeting – as in “how is it going,” or even more loosely as a welcome. For this reason, we decided it would be the perfect name for our business, which is directly involved in cultivating human relationships and connections through the amazing products we sell and the services we offer.
We are predominately known for our coffee, which is all organic and roasted locally in small batches and supplied to us every week. We also have a gallery where we display and sell all FairTrade and mainly handmade items made by artisans and vendors in Africa. Most of the items we sell are made by previously disadvantaged women who a the primary breadwinners and sole supporters of their entire family. We have a direct relationship with each and every one of our vendors so that we can guarantee they are being paid fairly and being taken care of by purchasing their products.
It was of huge importance to us to stock our gallery with items from people in Africa who will never have the opportunity to leave or start a better life like we did. So many of our customers have asked us why we don’t just do away with the gallery side to expand the coffee side, but we never will. By purchasing the items, we sell we support hundreds of people in Africa who rely on us to survive and therefore, we will continue supporting them. Kunjani is more than just a coffee shop. It is more than just a gallery. It is both of these things, combined with so much more.
We also have our own Non Profit – The Kunjani Project. Our main fundraising efforts have focussed on installing water pumps in Africa and through a partnership with Design Outreach, we have installed two so far and subsequently changed the lives of so many people. Clean water is something we all take for granted in the first world. However, in third world countries, it is life and death. It trickles into every aspect of life – women spend hours and hours and walk miles and miles to collect it and then they have to decide how to divide it between cooking, bathing, drinking, and cleaning. Girls miss out on the opportunity to go to school because they are helping their mothers collect water. Having the water pumps installed in their communities is truly life-changing on so many levels. I am extremely proud for the Kunjani Project to have played a very small part in this issue.
Along with raising money and awareness through our own NPO, we also wanted to make sure that we are constantly doing our part to impact our local community here in Naples. We, therefore, host a different local nonprofit every month. There is no selection process to be a part of this. Throughout the month, we display any information associated with them to spread awareness and collect money or items. For example, every December we support the Shelter for Abused women and children by displaying a Christmas “giving” tree decorated with stars from the shelter. Each star displays a gift request. Over the last few years, we have supported organizations such as the Humane Society, Collier Harvest, WellFit Girls, The Boys and Girls Club and so many more.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
We are extremely proud of the fact that so many of our customers have told us that they initially came for the coffee and stayed for the community. When we first moved to Naples, we couldn’t find a place where people could gather and feel that sense of belonging or being welcomed, so we decided to create it ourselves. We want everyone who steps into our space to feel as though they have just walked into our home to have a cup of coffee or tea with us.
Our motto is “Lifting each other up with love,” and we truly put that into every aspect of our business. Whether we apply it to our vendors in Africa, to our customers, or even amongst ourselves and the employees, it is always at the center of everything we do.
Our customer service and the relationships formed with our customers has been extremely integral in our success. Over the years, so many of our customers have become our friends, as well as with other customers. One of my favorite things to witness is when strangers come into Kunjani and then leave as friends — or watching people come in for first dates and then see those couples come back in day after day together.
I believe the “vibe” we have created has attributed to so many magical moments over the last few years and I am just so grateful to all of the support we have received from our loyal and loving customers. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how much of our success has come from our employees. We have the most loyal and hard-working employees in the industry. Each of our employees feels like family and they all treat Kunjani with the same love, passion, and attention to detail that they would their own business. We are beyond fortunate to have the best people working for us!
Contact Info:
- Address: 780 Seagate Drive, Naples FL 34103
- Website: www.kunjaninaples.com
- Phone: 2393000196
- Email: hello@kunjaninaples.com
Image Credit:
Neubek Photographers
Michaela Miller
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