FOOD & WINE
CHILLING OUT
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea has a large patio for social distancing. (Photo by Pablo Robles)
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea pours cold brew on the Airpark By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
E
lliot Greenberg and his business partner father, David, started searching for a business in which to invest four years ago so they could work for themselves. “We wanted to do something together and we were looking for the right brand that fit with our core values,” he says. “Obviously, it had to be something that we could 100% support.” A franchise broker suggested Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea. “When they said Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, I liked the idea of a coffee and tea concept—even without knowing anything about the brand,” Greenberg says. “The more we learned about it, the more we fell in love with Sweetwaters. The reviews were unbelievable. I looked at every review for every location. I did a ton of due diligence and market research. The more we kept learning, the more we enjoyed learning about the brand, about the founders, about how many awards they’ve won—all this good stuff.” After training in Michigan, the duo opened the location in the Airpark at 14850 N. 87th Street, Suite 110. “When we flew out to Michigan for ‘Meet the Team Day,’ we met the founders, we learned about the brand and we did an actual taste test,” he says. “Up until this point, we had never tasted anything. This was the make-or-break situation. What if you love everything
36 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / NOVEMBER 2020
Elliot Greenberg, pictured, brought Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea to Arizona with his father, David. (Photo by Pablo Robles)
that you’ve heard, but the product is not what it really is? Either you walk away or you move forward.” In Michigan, the owners did a side-by-side comparison of Sweetwaters coffee and Starbucks, the No. 1 competitor in the world. Greenberg said the difference was night and day. “We were sold,” he says. “We were sold at that point. We signed the paperwork, and we own a franchise now.” Looking for the perfect location proved to be daunting. Sweet-