Business Stories Archives - Intentionalist

Matcha Magic: From Boeing to Business Owner

Matcha Magic owner, Rachel Barnecut Rachel Barnecut opened Matcha Magic in 2022 as the first “plant-forward” matcha bar in Bellevue. Rachel worked a 9 to 5 job for 9 years and didn’t always know that she wanted to open her own cafe. With her family and fiancé’s support, Rachel took on the challenge to create something for herself and her...

Corner 17: From the fields of rural China to a beloved Chinese restaurant in St. Louis

Xin Wei's parents making dumplings at Corner 17. (Photo: Corner 17) When it comes to Corner 17, family is everything. The St. Louis Chinese restaurant is shaped by owner Xin Wei’s family and his experiences growing up in China. When Xin opened the doors to his restaurant in 2013 he invited in...

Simply Soulful: Bringing a family soul food tradition to a new Central District location

One pie made from six ingredients has turned into so much more for the mother and daughter duo behind Simply Soulful. When Lillian Rambus and her mother Barbara Collins started selling pies in 2011, they both worked full time and only sold pies at a farmer’s market on the...

Taqueria Cantina: Building Paradise One Taco at a Time

Inspiration can strike from anywhere. For Taqueria Cantina co-owner Daniel Ceballos, the inspiration to open a restaurant struck when he was 8 years old watching a telenovela. In the telenovela, there was a restaurant named El Paraiso — the paradise. As he watched the show, he saw how...

How Small Businesses are Recovering and What you can do to Help

How are small businesses recovering as the pandemic continues to create a more uncertain future? COVID-19 has dramatically changed the small business landscape. The number of small businesses in Washington decreased by a staggering 45% from January 2020 to June 2021. For local...

Sassafras: Stewarding Slow Fashion and Connecting the Belltown Community

Picture this: it’s the week of Christmas in 2012, and an eager store owner has opened a beautiful boutique in Belltown. In a pinch, she realized she doesn’t have a display table. Her dining table from home would have to do. Spoiler: The holiday season at the shop kicked off...

Aluel Cellars: A Queer-Owned Winery Built On Love (And More Beer Than You Might Think)

The story of Aluel Cellars is a love story. A queer love story. It all started 11 years ago. "Alex and I met almost 11 years ago. When we first met, a big part of our first date was that we each brought a really special bottle of wine with a fun story to tell behind it,” Aluel Cellars...

Fulcrum Speaks the Language of Coffee and Community

Blas Alfardo, vice president and head of the roasting program at Fulcrum Coffee. (Photo: Fulcrum Coffee) Fulcrum Coffee vice president and head roaster Blas Alfaro was around 10 years old when he roasted his first batch of coffee beans on his family’s coffee farm — just like his...

Repair Revolution: Repairing Cars, Revolutionizing the Auto Repair Industry

Eli and their crew at Repair Revolution. (Photo: Repair Revolution) When Eli Allison, founder of Repair Revolution, started as a mechanic, they saw a gap in the auto repair industry. As a queer person, they were working twice as hard to prove themselves in a notoriously homophobic,...