About Sweet Beans

At Sweet Beans, it's the smiles you'll see behind the counter that truly pull you in. Nearly 10 years ago, Mallory Rugg started working as a barista when her husband first enlisted in the Army. She realized then, "I just figured out what I want to do for the rest of my life, and I don't want to work for anyone else doing it."

But first, she felt called to serve and joined the U.S. Navy in 2012, working as a fire controlman. That's when she met her friend and co-owner, Heather Amodeo. "Her husband and I had the same job," Rugg recalled. Their families became close, sharing dreams on the front porch.

"I would tell her about my dreams... and she goes, 'Yeah that sounds amazing, I'd love to do that.' I go, 'Yeah you should do it with me,' and then they got stationed in Hawaii," Rugg said. As luck would have it, both families moved to Norfolk in 2017. "She was like 'Are you serious about the coffee shop?' I was like 'Yeah I am,' and then we hit the ground running," said Amodeo.

While Rugg finished her enlistment and worked as an instructor on the Navy base, the two women faced the challenges of starting a business head-on. "It was so much harder than I anticipated," Rugg admitted, citing endless nights working on business plans and navigating bank requirements.

Finally, they secured a loan and found their current spot near NASA Langley. Since opening, they've built a loyal customer base. As a female and veteran-owned business, Sweet Beans is breaking stereotypes. "There's still kind of that idea that a woman veteran is different... but with her and with Heather, there aren't very many pairs of women who are stronger than those two," noted Rugg's husband, Ron.

Now, Rugg and Amodeo are paying it forward, using their training, story, and voices to inspire other female veterans and entrepreneurs. "If you are so passionate about something and you feel like you have something you can sell, then exhaust all outlets," Amodeo advises.

Based on the story by WAVY News 10 Veterans Voices.