Meet Audra Burgio of San Diego

Today we’d like to introduce you to Audra Burgio.

Audra , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Originally, I started Burgio Feed & Supply in 2018. My mother and I had just lost my dad, and my mom was going through her “bucket list” items. She said, “your father would never let me open a business up here and I’m going to do it!” After the emotional roller coaster, we both had been going through I was happy to see her take things on, although I admit this wasn’t what I thought it would be. She said I’m too old to do it on my own and of course I said that’d I’d do it with her. I wanted a coffee shop/bakery, and she said no we need a feed store on the mountain and she was right. I have a lot of knowledge with animal feed and care just based on life experience. So, I created a business plan for the operation, did the appropriate research, rented the building, got the appropriate licenses, hired our first employee and started the feedstore. I think it was two years before I got paid but it’s been an amazing journey. My mom passed away a year later, but she thoroughly enjoyed her time at the shop. I made the shop mine and one of the things we both agreed on was that we wanted to use the business to reach out to the community. So, we started ” Nawnee’s Punkin Patch” and the following year “Share the Joy” Christmas event where we raise toys and put on a whole event for the kids in this community.

I shared my old barn building with a couple of other tenants who both went out of business. I asked my landlord if I could have the rest of the building and she agreed. I opened Burgio’s Western Wear and Cowboy Coffee Shop. It is a lot of work, but I have brough vital products to my community and the joy of coffee to boot.

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?
The biggest struggles along the way
1. scraping up $8k to start the first business which was nothing really.
2.My mothers and sisters passing shortly after opening.
3. Covid shut down and just assisting customer through a drive through model. It was also hard to get things during this time. Animal feeds would constantly go on back order not knowing when they’d be in again.
4. With the Biden administration, having to shut down business i.e. close and lock the doors while 600 migrants walked down the street and some came into shop DEMANDING water, bathroom and to charge their phones.
5. getting the coffee cart designed and dealing with the county. I finally hired Jim Duke Services to build it for me and that went great!!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in customer service across all businesses. If I don’t have something my customers want, I strive to bring it in the shops, we load their feeds, make coffee with a smile, be as helpful as possible and just bring some joy to their day. It’s all about how you treat people and to me they are my community my family

I’m incredibly proud that I’ve taken what little we started with and just build more every year.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Being successful isn’t monetary, although I need to pay the bills. But it’s being a blessing to others in some way, being fruitful and bearing witness to God. I love a few luxuries like any other person but if I can brighten someone’s day, every day then wow that’s amazing to me and I feel great. Or be a blessing to the children in our community whether it’s through the punkin patch or share the joy or being their sponsor in FFA, 4-H or sports and for a lot of youth being their first job. I love our small community, where we all know each other by name. Success is love, and I love our community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://WWW.BURGIOFEEDANDSUPPLY.COM