PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla — When Gary Crookshanks opened up a coffee and energy drink truck, he decided to go big. With the flavor of his products and the look of his truck.
“The image is excitement and experience and flavor,” Gary says.
And he hopes, that’s what will set him apart.
Gary’s story is the part of our SWFL Reinvented: Moving Forward series. We find local people who have changed the course of their lives, taken a risk, and started a new small business. Then, we follow them through the ups and downs of getting their business off the ground.
Gary opened up Nuclear Energy and Coffee Bar in March. He sells coffee and cold brew, as well as energy drinks. And if you really want a jolt, there are a number of add-ons too.
“There’s a little thing we call a radioactive shot,” he says. “It’s caffeine and jalapeno syrup. And it gives you the extra jolt of an extra cup of coffee if you like, but it also sneaks up on the back of you and hits you with some heat.”
This is not Gary’s first small business. We’ll tell you his backstory and the personal family reason he’s doing this, in a future episode.
"A lot of people think you have this dream and you open a business and you make money,” Gary says. "There’s money trees all over and you go and pick the money whenever you want it. No, it takes a lot of hard work in the beginning, because people need to see you and make sure that what they are getting is consistent day to day and the experience is consistent day to day.”
