Meet Allison Macalik & Russell Tibbits | Owners of little joy cafe

We had the good fortune of connecting with Allison Macalik & Russell Tibbits and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Allison and Russell, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
We (Allison Macalik and Russell Tibbits) have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. During the pandemic, we purchased rental properties across the country and still own 14 doors. But we pivoted to thinking about opening a coffee shop when Allison’s best friend opened a coffee shop in Brooklyn, NYC called Saturn Road. We are angel investors and were able to learn all the ins and outs of what it takes to start and maintain a thriving community shop. That’s when we knew we wanted to open our own.

In parallel, we spent a month in Europe last summer and we loved how kids are always welcome and how restaurants, coffee shops, bars, etc. are intentional about making sure kids are considered. Play places, toys, coloring books, etc. were everywhere we looked and it was such an enjoyable experience for the whole family.

We knew we wanted to open a family-friendly community space in Oak Cliff and started actively looking in January of this year. When we learned one of our favorite coffee shops was for sale, we jumped at the opportunity.

We rebranded to little joy (the original name we had wanted when we were dreaming last summer) and hit the ground running.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
little joy is different than other coffee shops because not only does it have delicious, high quality coffee and many other incredible drinks, we are intentional about the space and making sure the community has a voice.

Everything from the custom wallpaper in the bathrooms to the play place to the new chairs (the community recently voted on which ones we should get to ensure they support all bodies) to the pastries to the baristas to the events to partnering with our Elmwood neighbors and other small businesses in Oak Cliff, you name it. This is a beloved spot and our goal is to ensure the people have a voice and feel seen and heard in every decision we make.

We just took over in late April of this year, so we are building this plane as we are flying it. We never closed a day during the transition and rebrand. This has not been easy, but it’s been rejuvenating to figure out systems and processes that work for the shop, the staff, and for us.

Our biggest takeaway right now is that it’s okay to pivot. Claudia said we’re in activation mode, so try different things to see what resonates with the community: If something doesn’t work the way you thought it would, that’s okay! Reset expectations and try again. I’ll give you an example. I had no idea how much a vendor website took out for hosting events. So much so that we lost a ton of money on a really popular event. But that’s okay! We learned two valuable things: 1) We now need to look at other websites to collect money for tickets and 2) the community wants these events. So let’s plan another one, just in a smarter way.

We also learned that social media needs to be ran by us. We both work full-time jobs, so we outsourced it at the beginning and paid a company. But we received feedback that it didn’t feel authentic, people’s voices weren’t being heard, etc. So now it’s me running the social media account and I’m learning something new every single day. I am not an expert, but I’m showing up for the community and leaving my ego at the door.

Moral of our ongoing story: It’s okay to try something new and pivot!

I want the world to know that little joy has heart and passion. We truly, deeply care. This is a labor of love by our entire family and we are honored to be a small business in our beloved Oak Cliff and the Elmwood neighborhood.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We don’t leave Oak Cliff unless we are going north of downtown to make the trek to visit family. We also own a golf cart, so we really get to cruise around and enjoy everything this city within a city has to offer.

When friends come visit, we jump on the golf cart in the morning and head to little joy for coffee and kolaches and to show them Elmwood + introduce them to our neighbors (Olmo Market, Herby’s, DTX Performance, Irma’s Salon, Pegasus Tattoo and Wellness, Slow and Steady, rboc community kitchen and so many more). If they have a dog, Elm Woof dog park is a must do.

We then pop into Whose Books for their next great read and onto Bishop Arts for shopping and grabbing a bite. We let our guests choose any of the incredible restaurants or wine bars — there are options for every craving and taste. We also like to bring them to Davis Street Mercantile for a candle-making class as we make our way down to TyPo for more shopping and a snack.

We then take the golf cart to Cenzo’s for dinner and let the kids run around. We’re usually stopping for a porch visit with friends on the drive back to our home in Kidd Springs. Unless there’s a late show at Kessler Theatre or the Texas Theatre they want to catch. Or late night karaoke at Barbara’s Pavillion.

We live right at the park, so we have two playgrounds and a beautiful stroll around the pond as part of our every day. And if it’s summer time, we’re usually at Kidd Springs pool or the pool at the Golf Club of Dallas. Or on our street with all our neighbors for a carport party! Guests are always welcome.

If we do want to take the aqueduct into downtown, then it’s the Perot Museum or Klyde Warren for the splash parks (with a mambo taxi in hand). We also like to take the Dart train and even the trolley ride.

This city within a city is vibrant, fun, and full of community. There’s so much to do, see, try and taste. And so many different areas that all offer their own fun and flair (e.g., Sylvan 30, Tyler Station, Trinity Groves and more). I’m telling you, you will need much more than a week to experience all the joy.

We’ve lived in Oak Cliff for over 8 years and we’re still surprised with new people and new places to experience every day!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We’d love to dedicate our shout out to Claudia and John Vega. The Vegas have been our friends and neighbors for years. We saw their journey to opening Whose Books and saw the hard work, dedication and loving patience it required. When we talked to them about buying the coffee shop, they were so supportive. In fact, their non-profit, ARCO, was the first organization we partnered with for our first ever event: A Silent Reading Party to benefit ARCO.

Their friendship, support and mentorship has meant so much to us. Especially Claudia — she has become such an inspiration and mentor to me as a woman in small business. She leads the way and shows me that anything is possible with grace, patience and kindness.

Website: https://www.littlejoycoffeeshop.com

Instagram: @little.joy.coffee

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/little-joy-coffee/

Facebook: little joy coffee

Image Credits
Estave Creative