Coffee shops have become an essential part of any communities. People savor delicious pastries there, use free WIFI for work whilst hiding from weird upstairs neighbors who keep drilling or breakdancing loudly, or simply enjoy the moment with a warm drink. Tom Oswald, who is just 18 years old, decided he wanted to have such a place of his own – a café for art and coffee. Sadly, in the initial days, there were no customers. But it looks like the tide is about to change with the power of the internet.
More info: TikTok
Tom Oswald, 18, opened a coffee shop fresh out of high school
Image credits: homeboy.co
Opening a business is a daunting adventure, especially to a young person who just started the journey of adulthood. Prior to opening his business, he worked in a local coffee shop where he practiced his coffee making and latte art skills. He wasn’t very good at first, but he worked hard and eventually learned to draw intricate swans with milk. I do strongly believe that any drink tastes better with a nice art on it!
One day, an incredible opportunity presented itself – his ex-neighbor had a paint shop with enough room for a coffee shop in it. Despite initial reservations, he decided to take a leap of faith – after all, the best time to do something is right now. The young man understood the importance of mentors and tried talking to many people in the industry, learning from them. With the help of his dad, he found a few mentors who were excited to show him the ropes of this business.
Image credits: homeboy.co
He was working in a local coffee shop when he learned that his ex-neighbor was renting a place perfect for business
Image credits: homeboy.co
Image credits: homeboy.co
His next step was market research – he went to as many cafes as he could and observed the process. He dutifully noted what made them good and what he would take away to his business. And, of course, he had to try their tasty treats – any drink goes better paired with a fresh pastry.
After a lot of tasty research, Tom decided he too wanted treats in his shop. Luckily, he found the supplies that met his standards and was one step closer to fulfilling his dream.
Once the coffee shop was set up, Tom practiced some more, making numerous coffees and perfecting his art. Soon, the big day came – it was the opening day! All his hard work and dedication was going to pay off with the first happy customer. Unfortunately, no one showed up. This was a heartbreaking experience, but Tom wasn’t going to give up. The next day he’d try again. And the next day. And the next day too.
Still, in the initial days, only a few of his friends and family showed up who tried to cheer Tom up. The young entrepreneur set up a TikTok account to document his café journey. He didn’t expect it to become a ticket to success.
Despite his initial fears, the young man decided to take a chance and start his own business
Image credits: homeboy.co
Image credits: homeboy.co
After a lot of research and handwork, Thiele's Shop was open for business
Image credits: homeboy.co
Image credits: homeboy.co
Many of us who frequent coffee shops wonder what happens behind the scenes, how a café comes to be that magical place where coffee is always good, and baristas are always smiling. Tom took viewers on a journey, showing how he sets up the café and how opening and closing looks from the insider’s point of view.
His videos were rather cinematic, showing rainy days and art inside the café. Tom maintained a positive attitude, acknowledging that quiet days allow him time for reflection and research. Everything is a lesson if you are willing to learn and Tom certainly was willing.
After his videos went viral, he finally got some customers – he documented this in a heartwarming video that melted everyone’s hearts. People cheered as if they were their own customers. Since this first important milestone, the business started picking up.
Sadly, no one showed up. Tom decided not to give up and kept on working and documenting his journey on TikTok
Image credits: homeboy.co
Image credits: homeboy.co
Soon he went viral and thanks to the power of the internet, he welcomed his first customers
Image credits: homeboy.co
Thousands of strangers on the internet left encouraging comments, urging him to keep going and even making suggestions on how to attract more customers. Everyone was willing to see Tom succeed, locals promising to stop by the café once they were in the area.
As things started looking up, Tom decided that his business needed a name. The café was simply called Thiele’s Shop, the name of the place it was located in. However, it wasn’t personal to Tom. He wanted to make it his own and that’s how “Homeboy” café was born.
Another milestone followed thereafter – Tom got his first reservation, a significant milestone for his fledgling business. He recorded himself carefully setting up a cozy corner for his customers, attention to detail making us want to make a reservation too.
He changed the name to "Homeboy" cafe to make it more personal to him
Image credits: homeboy.co
In an interview with BoredPanda, the owner Tom shared the reasons behind opening a café “I’ve always wanted to learn how a business functions, so I thought what better way to learn than to throw myself into one!”. There is no better time than present after all!
“The café operates under a “pop up” agreement at the venue “Thiele’s Shop”. This place allows businesses and young creatives to test themselves on the market without having to deal with long list of set up costs” Tom explained how he managed to open a café.
“This allows me to solely focus on creating good quality products and good customer experiences. I’ve done plenty research to find the best croissants and the best coffee beans”. Well, that’s a crucial aspect for many customers – if the croissant is bad, the day is ruined. Hopefully, more and more customers will be able to benefit from Tom’s research.
And even got his very first reservation!
Image credits: homeboy.co
We inquired about the concept of coffee and art and Tom revealed that it is a collaboration with “The PaintBox”, a neighboring business that operates within the same building. They saw an amazing opportunity and decided to join forces “They sell amazing paint supplies and hold art classes which I can bring in coffee and cakes for!” Tom was very excited about this newfound partnership.
“I believe this is how local businesses should be operated, boosting each other up instead of the traditional ‘competition’ that sometimes tends to happen” young entrepreneur shared his positive outlook on running a business. “This collaboration can further boost customer experiences. It starts to feel like more of a community. And thats what we can ensure for a first time visitor - friendliness, a comfortable setting and the sense of community”.
Tom proved that anyone, despite their age, can succeed
Image credits: homeboy.co
Tom’s story is a testament to the power of determination and resilience. Age shouldn’t be a limiting factor in one’s decisions and anyone can succeed with enough luck and loads of hard work. Surely, TikTok helped Tom gain recognition and customers, but if he hadn’t shown his efforts and dedication, no amount of cinematic videos would’ve helped. So let it be an inspiration for you today and do something you were afraid to do. Fingers crossed your success story will be our next article!
And if you’re in the area, pop in the “Homeboy” café – who knows, maybe it will become “your” spot.
Do you have a favorite coffee shop?
People in the comments were supportive of this young enterpreneur
