Part 1 | 15A, Our 1st Brick-&-Mortar

As we are preparing for our 10th anniversary, we decided to take the week and showcase our entire journey; the good, the bad and the things we did not talk about along the way because it was just too hard to do so.

We hope you tune in for our 6 part series and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support along the way to where we are now. We’re so incredibly grateful.

XO, Christi

15A, Our First Brick and Mortar

When I moved to Asheville in 2012, my goal was to take the framework of a cottage company I started, rebrand it and open a brick-and-mortar shop downtown where I would manufacture our plant-based products in shop before and after hours.

C&Co.® was this brand and was founded in Asheville on August 26, 2012.

In the beginning I had such a hard time finding a location downtown that I thought it would never happen. Each setback I found myself hiking on a specific trail to work through all the feelings alongside my incredibly supportive husband. I decided that while I waited for the perfect location, I would offer my products to other retail shops in downtown Asheville and contract manufacturer my brand, i.e., putting my products under another brand’s name. The whole experience was a learning-moment.

I eventually found our first location at 15A Broadway Street on Craigslist of all places. The property manager, and super long-time client Jill, lobbied hard for our brand as she believed wholeheartedly in our products. She showcased what we did to the building owner who took a liking to us. This building owner was one of the most gracious people I would come across in the start of the company. She not only offered us a home in her building but at a rate that was well below market at the time. This incredible generosity allowed us to gain our footing during the most critical years of starting a business. 

After a quick 30 days of construction for our up-fit, I ended up opening our retail doors on February 2, 2013 and for the entire first year I felt like I didn’t breathe.

Our first summer open I met so many of our now long-time clients and those memories are some that I hold so dear to my heart. As my first holiday season approached and into 2014, I started to reflect on what we were all about and how we wanted to change the industry standard. Then I started to really set goals for the brand.

Continue reading Part 2 of our six part series here.