ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 5, 1996 TAG: 9605060105
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: JOANNE ANDERSON SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
Like quite a few people these days, Russell and Anna Chisholm moved to the New River Valley last fall for the quality of life and educational opportunities.
At age 27, they both hoped to buy a small house and go to college. They had decided to put their dream of owning a coffee shop on a back burner.
But just 11 weeks after rolling into town with their belongings in a 1989 Ford Ranger, the Chisholms - Russell and Anna along with Russell's brother Bruce - opened The Easy Chair Coffee Shop at the entrance to University Mall.
When Russell was reading the real estate ads their first Friday in town, he saw "coffee shop for sale." He called. On Saturday they looked. By Sunday, he had computed pages of numbers and Anna had food and beverage plans.
Operating with an antiquated IBM computer, Russell produced a business plan. He tapped some local resources such as the Greater Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce's Senior Corps Of Retired Executives, SCORE, which helps people trying to start up or expand their small business.
When a SCORE representative encouraged them, their enthusiasm was fueled. It was great, according to Russell, to meet "someone who knew about business saying that we weren't out of our minds."
The Chisholms helped to create their own success by putting together a "vision, focus and a reasonable business plan." SCORE representatives suggested they take a more conservative approach and obtain more upfront capital.
Both business advisers and town officials said the couple showed confidence that whatever problem they encountered they could handle.
Part of their somewhat brief market research entailed sitting in their truck outside University Mall counting the people who went in and out.
"Store owners in the mall were very supportive," said Anna Chisholm. Emily Stanton of Printers Ink and managers at The Weight Club were very helpful with customer and member counts.
With their business plan in hand, the Chisholms approached Jay Johnson at the National Bank of Blacksburg.
"I was immediately impressed with their well-thought-out business plan," said Johnson. But he also was taken with the fact that they had realistic expectations about the long hours, hard work and sacrifice their business would take.
The Chisholms began preparing for their own business after being discharged from the service in 1991. Anna Chisholm attended the Baltimore Cooking School for her associate's degree in professional cooking. Both worked at various coffee shops in the Washington, D.C., area.
Russell Chisholm believes his experience at Starbucks, the nationwide coffee shop chain, was especially valuable.
"They have a fantastic training program that includes everything from grinding coffee to taking apart and cleaning machines, monitoring revenue and extensive customer service procedures," Russell said.
"That was extremely helpful in evaluating the equipment in the coffee shop. It was all in excellent condition, a real bonus for starting The Easy Chair."
And why The Easy Chair?
"I wanted to name it something comfortable," explained Anna Chisholm, "something that countered the mall atmosphere."
The couple bring an international flavor to their shop. Each joined the U. S. Army in 1986, hoping to become Russian linguists.
Instead, Russell Chisholm became a Chinese linguist, and Anna Chisholm became an Arabic linguist.
Although they were both stationed "about 50 yards apart" at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif., they didn't meet until both were stationed at Fort Meade, Md. Soon after arriving, they were two of five soldiers from there selected to serve in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm.
"We couldn't date in Saudi Arabia, but we played lots of spades in a tent during our eight months in the desert," said Anna Chisholm. Back in the states, they were allowed to date. They arrived in Blacksburg at the end of their honeymoon in October 1995.
Bruce Chisholm, 29, had been tossing around ideas for being in business with his brother for years. The coffee shop was his excuse to get out of Chicago, leaving a supervisory job in product reliability and testing.
"I've been rafting and camping in West Virginia and Virginia for years and love the area," he said. "I was never cut out to be a city dweller."
He came down to paint and prepare for opening, then returned to Chicago to quit his job, pack a 15-foot truck and his cat, Katrina. He was back in Blacksburg on March 24, and within minutes of walking into the coffee shop, had picked up a towel and gone to work.
"So far I've learned that I have a lot to learn," he said. He's in charge of the fresh juices and blender drinks soon to be offered.
The three partners have lots of plans for the shop, particularly in expanding their food and beverage selections. "We're moving slowly, working out the kinks as we go along," said Anna Chisholm.
While they hadn't anticipated having any employees, regular customer Rob Fraser started helping out when things were busy. "He's been working for what's in the tip jar, but we're hoping to put him on the payroll soon," Russell said.
Although the couple decline to reveal their projected revenues or profit, sales have exceeded their projections from the first day.
Town Manager Ron Secrist, one of the couple's regular customers, said it is the "mom and pop" small businesses that are vital to Blacksburg's growth and appeal.
Secrist dropped in at The Easy Chair one day and thought to himself, "I want to spend my money with them."
They are "young entrepreneurial folks ready to take a risk. It's small business at its best," Secrist said. Blacksburg needs to continue developing the environment that encourages people like the Chisholms and the Ames brothers who opened Boudreaux's restaurant downtown last September, Secrist said.
"Small businesses are our salvation," he added, referring to what he calls the "big box retailers" moving out at the expense of downtown and the older strip malls.
The Chisholms have some advice for people wanting their own business: Be patient, be flexible.
"You can learn something from everything you do that can help in your own business some day," Russell said.
LENGTH: Long : 116 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM Staff. At the Easy Chair Coffee Shop atby CNBBlacksburg's University Mall are partners (from left) Anna, Russell
and Bruce Chisholm. color.