Solo Cafe thrives, economy be damned!

I visited Solo Cafe in Tempe this morning with my awesome friend Tonia; they’d just completed a redesign of the store and we wanted to check it out. The place looked great and the new furniture layout helped to open up the space. On the back wall they’ve added a large mural, which really adds to the upscale eclectic vibe of the place.

Solo Cafe's snazzy new mural

We chatted with Chad, one of the owners about the facelift and upcoming plans…they’re adding a kitchen in anticipation of offering a food menu. All of this is happening because business has been great for them.

Solo Cafe has been open since the beginning of 2008. In the time since then, the economy has gone down the drain, people have complained about the damage done to small business when consumers quit spending and the government has spent billions to bail out big companies while doing very little for small independents. Yet Solo has thrived through all of this. Why? Because their product is great and they’ve made smart decisions; two foundations on which all successful businesses are based.

The lesson here is that more people should quit whining about how much things suck right now and start paying attention to the basics. Be smart and do whatever it is you do well.