Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Cleary.
Hi Abby, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised on Cape Cod, MA where the tourism industry is booming in the summertime. I started working as a waitress at the most popular restaurants on the Cape, and I quickly fell in love with the hustle of the restaurant industry. After graduating high school, I moved to attend Florida Gulf Coast University, where I studied Hospitality & Resort Management. Throughout my twenties, I was constantly on the move, living in 6 states and 4 other countries where I got a ton of experience working various jobs in the hospitality industry. I was a nightclub promoter in Australia, Las Vegas & Miami, and a ski bum in Italy & Austria, working under the table washing dishes and making pizzas. I worked in the F&B Department at a Forbes Five Star Resort and in the Sales Department at another luxury hotel and had a lot of fun working other little jobs for events or as the beverage cart girl at country clubs. Prior to opening Rosemonts, I owned a Meal Prep Delivery Service in Denver that I had started with a partner in 2017 out of my studio apartment kitchen. I was living in Colorado because I loved snowboarding, but the ocean had always been calling my name, so in 2018, I moved to La Jolla and opened a second location for my business. For years, I was back and forth from Denver and San Diego before eventually selling both business locations. I always knew La Jolla was a place I’d want to plant some roots.
I moved into the Windansea neighborhood in July 2020, and every day for months, I would walk by this empty space, which is now Rosemonts, wondering why nobody had turned it into anything. I would often daydream about what I would do with it if it were mine. I made my first inquiry to the realtor in March 2021, finally toured the space in October, and put in an offer to lease in December. Two months later, in February 2022, I got the keys to the vacant space, and here we are.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wish I could say it’s been smooth! I look back at where I was a year ago with money and staffing issues and where I was two years ago trying to figure out how to even start this business with no help and no resources, and I can’t believe how far I’ve come. A constant struggle has always been the finances. I didn’t have much to start with because I spent my twenties exploring over 30 different countries. I’ve been financially independent since I was 20, and I don’t come from money, so I really had to work hard to pay for my travel addiction and because of that, I’ve never had any savings, and I still even owe a lot in student loans. However, I have always been a hard worker and very motivated. Anything I ever said I was going to do, no matter how outrageous it seemed, I always found a way to do it. Because of those qualities, a couple family members and friends kindly let me borrow money to start up Rosemonts. But as any business owner would agree, things will always be more expensive and take more time than you expect. The other biggest struggle has been finding good, reliable employees. The first 10 months of being open, I really overworked myself being inside the cafe. Between working during operating hours and figuring out all the back-end business owner stuff, I was literally working 60+ hours a week. I eventually found a few employees who take great pride in their work and who have proven to be team players, incredibly loyal, trustworthy, and hard-working. It has made me very proud watching them grow, become more disciplined, and learn leadership skills. Because of them, I am finally starting to be able to focus more on the important details for the business to advance. Shoutout to my amazing core team: Andreana, Kat, and Erik! And to my part-time employees: Lilly and La Jolla High School students, Mae, Celi & Christie, who continuously impress me each week as they are learning so much with this being their first job.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Rosemonts Cafe?
At Rosemonts Cafe, we serve amazing coffee & espresso, organic matcha, freshly baked daily pastries, phenomenal breakfast & lunch sandwiches, toasts, and other small menu items using really high-quality ingredients. What we specialize in and what sets us apart from others is the community we’ve created at Rosemonts. Come spend one day inside the cafe working on your laptop and just see for yourself. Or even get a quick coffee to-go a few days in a row and you will not only start to recognize the same faces, but I guarantee you will make more than a few friends. The community that my team and I built at Rosemonts is, without a doubt, what makes me the most proud. My team and my regulars will be the first to tell you Rosemonts is a really special place. Seriously- come and see for yourself.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I am really lucky to have a business in La Jolla because this entire community is so supportive. Not just neighbors but especially other small business owners. My advice would be to ask everyone and anyone questions! Ask the same question to 5 different people doing something similar to what you want to accomplish. There are a lot of good people out there who are happy to help if you just ask. The local business owners have been incredibly kind to me, sharing from experience their valuable knowledge as another business owner in the industry. I literally don’t think I would be where I am today if it wasn’t for their advice, reassurance, or especially a listening ear when I needed to vent. Shoutout to George, Jason, Peter, Rodrigo… to name a few. If it wasn’t for people like them, I would have probably given up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rosemontscafe.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosemontscafe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RosemontsCafe/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rosemonts-cafe-san-diego
