Women in Business: For the love of coffee and comics – Austin Daily Herald

When Jade Burnham and her husband Marty opened Hot Off the Press Comics and Coffee it was an understood necessity that two sides of the business have a connection to each other.

It’s why the beverages served on the comic side have names that connect with the comic book world.

“That was always part of it,” Jade said from the comic side as the smell of coffee wafted gently from the coffee side where two customers could be heard talking with each other. “They had to compliment each other. That’s the only way it would work.”

“Everything was going to be cohesive,” she added.

While comics have generally been more of Marty’s thing, coffee has been Jade’s — cup of tea. Even though she enjoys the more realistic-based comic books, coffee is what grounds her going back when she spent time working with the bookseller, Barnes & Noble.

For Jade, finally being able to open up a business that was a shared dream has been a vision two decades in the making.

“We got to this point because it’s just been one of those outside dreams for 20 years at this point,” Jade said. “Visiting various places and being in comic books stores in various  states and seeing coffee shops and loving coffee and deciding to put those two together finally at some point in our life.”

Around two years ago, the comic book side opened for the first time, followed by the opening of the coffee side in August of last year.

Getting things finally rolling to a point where both businesses were open was simply part of opening their own business — a first for both.

“Starting any business has its challenges, but yeah, it was learning to just deal with what’s in front of you and not focus on what you can’t control,” Jade said. “It was a learning process.”

That learning process has blossomed into a business that is succeeding. Jade said Hot Off the Press, on either side of the business, has been able to develop a run of regulars that have helped bolster the business.

Part of that bolstering has involved crossover Jade said they were hoping to see and in turn has led to the building of the necessary relationship between owners and customers.

“It’s been really good,” she said. “Definitely building relationships with customers, which is always nice. If you’ve been here a few times we try to remember your name. If you come in and order the same drink, we’ve got it started basically as soon as you walk in the door.”

For Jade, part of the interest of owning the coffee/comic shop has been watching that very same crossover as interests entwine and build on each other.

During their time, Jade said that she’s seen comic lovers migrating over to the coffee shop for the large variety of drinks. Vice versa, she’s seen coffee lovers, who have never picked up a comic book before, find something that’s caught their eye.

“Maybe this is a person that’s never walked into a comic book shop, or somebody who never feels comfortable walking into a comic shop,” Jade said. “That’s just too over my head. I just drink plain coffee, why do I have to go to a coffee shop?”

At its heart, that has been the goal of Jade and Marty. Not only are they providing services people want, but they are also creating a place for all of them to come together. They’ve created a community.

“I think everybody wants a place they feel like they belong,” she said. “It’s nice to go somewhere where you’re known. Your a familiar person and you don’t feel uncomfortable in a space. We want that community.”

More than once, Jade said people from either side have come together over a cup of coffee or a board game on the premises that has created something of a home away from home for the customers.

Again, another hope Jade holds for people.

“I want people to walk in here and feel comfortable in the space,” she said. “I want them to feel like they belong here. I want that community aspect of it. It works with both sides of our business. We want people to come in here and be excited for the comic book they find. Excited for the drink they are drinking and so excited to have them sit down and have conversations with somebody they never would have had.”

Jade said both she and Marty have sunk a lot of time into Hot Off the Press. On the coffee side, a good deal of the day is spent ensuring that product is the best it can be, including repeatedly tasting the coffee every morning and checking throughout the day to ensure that the expresso is being brewed right, and the various teas steeped in the right manner.

Throughout it all, Jade said that while establishing a community at the business, there has been a connection to the community at large, a community they’ve only been a part of for four years.

“It’s nice that we have that social outlet here,” she said. “That we can sit down at a table with (customers) and talk about their day. That’s a really nice social outlet and community space that’s been good for both of us.”