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Brew Box Coffee Company

An interview with the owners!

By Arianna Dabu, Macaroni KID Fort Myers - Fort Myers Beach August 13, 2022

Brew Box Coffee Company is a mom & pop mobile espresso bar offering happiness in a cup! Their menu contains lattes, macchiatos, cold foam cold brew, vanilla & cotton candy frappes, and more! They have a new specials all the time, such as: dulce de leche lattes, seasonal frappes, and of course hot cocoa varieties! They use organic coffee beans, all-natural flavors and can also make your flavored lattes VEGAN with alternative milks. If you're looking for small bites to eat, they've got croissants, muffins, cookies, etc. They've worked with corporate offices, hospitals, schools and community events so far, but are adding junior proms & weddings to their event lists as well!


I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Irene Mimnaugh from Brew Box Coffee Company, a local, mobile, coffee shop/espresso bar. Irene and Michael Mimnaugh came to Southwest Florida from NYC in 2018; they have two children. Irene works as designer for Chicos, and Michael has worked with coffee for almost 20 years. Irene works with design, visual aspects, and trends in her line of work as a designer, while Michael has experience with quality and taste of the coffee. They are both very involved in customer service and believe this is a very important aspect of their business. Together, their combined experience in many different aspects help to run their business successfully.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, both Irene and Michael got furloughed the very same day. It was at that point that they came to the conclusion that nothing different will happen in life unless they take a chance. They took their savings and did it - they started their own business, during the unstable times. They officially opened Brew Box Coffee Company last July, of 2021, though the business startup process began a few months prior. "You don't know until you try. We have been learning what works and what doesn't work as we go. We tweak things along the way," says Irene. 

Irene and Michael saw that Southwest Florida had lots of Dunkin' and Starbucks, as well as a handful of small coffee shops. However, there weren't many options for a coffee shop that was a little more Earth-friendly. Brew Box Coffee Company's coffee beans are sourced from Grounds for Change, a Washington-based company. 

Grounds for Change is a is a family-owned and operated coffee business. Their coffee is Fair for Life Fair Trade certified and Carbon-Free Certified by CarbonFund.org (meaning that they plant the same amount of trees to offset the carbon they've put out in the world). The organic beans are picked from Grounds for Change and shipped to Brew Box Coffee Company directly. Irene and Michael chose to partner with Ground for Change because of their organic, fair-trade, carbon-free business model. They want to "do the right thing in [their] community and globally."

Brew Box Coffee Company is different from the other coffee shops because they offer their organic beans, organic alternative milks, and they cater to all ages! They have their espresso bar for the adults, and they have their fun frappes for the kids! This is what really caught my attention when looking at their website. It is fantastic that I am able to grab a coffee (or frappe) and can also treat my young kids to a special (non-coffee) drink. They have so many flavors to choose from, like bubble gum, cotton candy, candy corn (seasonally), and more. "We wanted kids to be able to enjoy a drink as well, with their parents," Irene said.

Brew Box Coffee Company caters to school events (like teacher appreciation days), junior proms, and private events. Because they are mobile, they don't have a brick and mortar location. However, they do post a weekly schedule of where they will be parked, for your convenience. One place they attend year-round is the Koreshan State Farmers Market, every Sunday, between 8am - 1pm. They also frequently visit Chicos FAS on Metro Pkwy, Frantz Eye Care in Fort Myers, and the Bridge Plaza on McGregor Blvd. Their website even allows you to select a location and pre-order if you like!

If you are looking to book an event, they prefer you do so via email. This makes it easier so that everything is confirmed in writing, and all parties know the details. If you do plan to book, be sure to mention Macaroni KID sent you, and they will provide pastries for up to 20 people! One thing they need to know when booking, is the amount of people that will be served, as they will need to ensure they bring enough baristas to cover the customers. 

Speaking of baristas, Irene mentioned, "we are always looking for help covering events. We have an ad posted on social media. This position gives baristas the chance to make extra pocket money, and they keep all of the tips!" If anyone is interested in becoming a barista for Brew Box Coffee Company, they can email Irene and Michael, or they can send a message via social media.

When asked what their most popular drink was, Irene said, "in the beginning was the caramel macchiato, but the dulce de leche iced latte is currently the favorite! All of our syrups/sauces are all natural flavoring, which adds to the tasty flavor! Irene's personal new favorite drink is a cold brew with cold foam and sugar-free caramel. She also likes the strawberry frappe, which contains real strawberry!

In conclusion, Brew Box Coffee Company is "an espresso bar, but we specialize in the family as a whole, so there's happiness in cup for everyone!"



For reviews and complete contact information, visit their business directory.

You can easily view each week's schedule, and place your order for pickup online, here.

Looking for that perfect gift? Why not give them a gift card for Brew Box!

*Mention Macaroni KID when you book us for your next event, and we will provide pastries for up to 20 people!*

They accept many different forms of payment, for your convenience.