From attending Harding Academy to signing their first business lease, two University of Memphis students turned a dream of owning their own business into a reality.
Christopher Galbreath, 20, and Micah Dempsey, 19, cofounded Belltower Artisans, a coffeehouse and pottery studio combo. It originally opened in Minglewood Hall as a pop-up business the past summer before they decided to move. The two signed a one-year lease for a 2,788 square foot space on the Highland Strip in order to be closer to college students.
“Over the next three to five years, we are very sure this shop can be a franchisee business with workers who have expertise in many areas that will move the business forward,” Galbreath said.
With a passion for pottery in mind, Galbreath began a plan and changed his major from engineering to business. According to the two students, it took from December 2016 to February 2017 to layout all the groundwork.
“Before signing our lease, we spent a lot of time reviewing and planning for the shop,” Galbreath said. “We talked it over amongst ourselves for months before we actually signed.”
The duo hopes the change of location will increase their overall business and bring in a lot of new faces to their shop. The new location will be at 549 South Highland Street.
Brent Hale, tattoo artist at Inked the Tattoo Experience, worked next door to the Belltower Artisans in Minglewood Hall. He said the business had a very successful summer.
“The store brought in a good mixture of business to Minglewood Hall with the good coffee and pottery,” Hale said. “It brought more of the younger crowd out.”
With the store being so close to campus, Dempsey and Galbreath hope other U of M students enjoy their shop. They said they plan to have the university involved in the business endeavor as well.
“We are working toward a way where University of Memphis students could use their Tiger Funds to help pay for items sold at the shop,” Dempsey said.
Belltower Artisans, a coffeehouse and pottery studio combo, will join the Highland Strip. Co-founders Christopher Galbreath, 20, and Micah Dempsey, 19, both attend the U of M and said they are working towards allowing students to use Tiger Funds to pay at their business.
