This is the first of what I hope will become a series of interviews with coffee entrepreneurs about the choices they make in creating, building, and positioning their businesses. We begin the series with sisters Randi and Maria Milton of Rossana, a mobile coffee business in northern Virginia.
Randi was previously interviewed by us when she served as General Manager of Northside Social in Arlington, VA.
How would you describe Rossana?
Maria: Rossana is the culmination of a long-time dream that Randi and I have had to own our own business, and our love for coffee and community.
Randi: Rossana brings more than a mobile espresso experience to you. We are handcrafting espresso beverages, coffees, teas, and small bites with the same level of love and attention of a brick and mortar café, but in a mobile setting.
What’s the meaning behind the name?
Randi: Rossana was our mother’s name. We went back and forth with different names and ideas that would fit into our concept and in the end, Rossana was perfect. Our mother impacted us in innumerable ways; our confidence in ourselves, our passion for life, and love of people, just to name a few.
Maria: Pronounced ROSS-anna. Being from the south, there is a little twang behind the name.
What were your backgrounds before starting the business?
Randi: I worked in many positions in the hospitality industry, first as a prep cook at a local establishment in our home town near Atlanta, GA when I was in my teens, and most recently as the General Manager of both Northside Social Arlington and Northside Social Falls Church. Leadership and hospitality are my passions, and coffee became a surprising bonus.
Maria: We both have had careers in the restaurant industry, and my background is heavily on the beverage side. I focused on craft beers and then moved into wine, followed by restaurant management. I worked in the Northside wine bar when I moved to Virginia, and that is where my love for coffee really started to blossom.
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