4 minute read
Brewed For Success
Shadi Khattab Photo by Aniko Kiezel
MOBILE COFFEE COMPANY GIVES BACK
Onit Coffee’s motto is “Impacting lives one cup at a time.”
Founder and owner
J L JL
By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor
Shadi Khattab chose the phrase for his business—Sacramento’s fi rst mobile gourmet coffee truck—as a homage to his partnerships with nonprofi ts and coffee’s integral role in his Middle Eastern upbringing.
“In my culture, we’re very big on quality tea and coffee,” says Khattab, who emigrated from Syria at age 5 with his family so his father could pursue medical studies. “Family and friends sit down together and bond over a cup of coffee. It’s a very big cultural thing for me, so I thought, why not bring aspects of my culture into the business I want to create?”
Khattab has always been entrepreneurial. Growing up, his family didn’t have much, so he would fi nd unique ways to make money—fl ipping shoes, selling things on Craigslist—to buy himself toys or games. His affi nity for business led him to pursue a degree in entrepreneurship at Sacramento State, where his fi nal project before graduating four years ago set the stage for his future brand.
“I’ve always loved the way they do business at Dutch Bros Coffee,” says Khattab, who runs Onit while managing marketing at his father’s Elk Grove medical practice, Precision M.D. Cosmetic Surgery Center. “They greet you at the kiosk, they interact with you. We’re so desensitized by drive-thru screens that it feels unique and different to interact with someone. I decided I wanted to build my own coffee franchise like that—and Onit came to life.”
The 26-year-old hired an East Coast consulting fi rm to learn from experts and spent almost two years searching for the perfect location for his new business. After being repeatedly outbid
Nicole Finley and Jeff Landeros, co-owners of Freeport Bar & Grill on 8259 Freeport Blvd. Vicky Gomez, owner of Vicky G’s Hair Design on 4848 Folsom Blvd. Maria E. Munoz, owner of East Patio Mexicano on 5100 Folsom Blvd.
LOCAL PLEDGE CAMPAIGN KEEPS GROWING
Elena’s Kitchen and Catering owner Elena Melnychuk (second from left) and her food service staff outside their Carmichael location. Marnie and John Carvalho, owners of Freeport Wine Country Inn & Bistro on 8201 Freeport Blvd. in Freeport.
Photos Courtesy of Cecily Hastings, Lauren Stenvick and Sally Giancanelli
We are happy to report that the PLEDGE 100% LOCAL campaign continues to grow and pick up new supporters. We invite other businesses and groups to join the effort. You can participate as simply as posting our signs at your business or by donating to fund signs and other resources. Visit insidesacramento.com/100local. For more information, contact cecily@insidepublications.com.
Sacramento’s Backyard
15 minutes South of Downtown
Shadi Khattab (center) with employees, Douglas Kishyama and Rubén Alvarado, off ering a variety of drinks.
by large chains that snapped up prime drive-thru locations, Khattab fi nally got lucky and landed a lot in ArdenArcade. Because the permitting and construction process is slow (Khattab expects the drive-thru to be open by next summer), he decided he didn’t want to wait. He put Onit Coffee on wheels.
“We invested in a custom-built truck with a kitchen and top-of-the-line equipment—and the build fi nished in March right as COVID started,” Khattab says. “My vision to send the truck out to large-scale venues like Sac State to get our name out there went out the window. Luckily, I’m good at adapting.”
Undeterred, Khattab decided to park the Onit truck in the Precision M.D. parking lot and added lighting, outdoor seating and a varied menu to entice customers. Every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Onit serves custom coffee drinks (with a proprietary bean blend made just for them by Old Soul) with vegan milk and sugar-free options, plus protein shakes, fresh-squeezed lemonades, cold brew, energy drinks, ice cream, breakfast, smoothies and milkshakes.
The idea paid off. The truck now serves up to 3,000 people per week, which has helped Khattab realize the other part of his vision for Onit: giving back to the community. Every month, the company partners with a local nonprofi t and donates a percentage of the profi ts. The fi rst campaign in April brought in $1,000 for Sacramento Food Bank, followed by successful campaigns for Street Medicine Sacramento, My Sister’s House and World Relief Sacramento.
“Onit is turning into a movement that’s bigger than me, bigger than coffee,” says Khattab, who mentors his staff of diverse young people with the hope they might one day run their own Onit franchises. “It’s about continuing to serve the city of Sacramento and motivate the youth, minority and immigrant communities by showing them that it’s possible to manifest your dreams.”
For information, visit onitcoffee.com. Onit Coffee is located at 9250 Big Horn Blvd.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Previous profi les can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n
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