Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Barnes.
Hi Dana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
We are two friends who met through our grad school sustainable business program. We had always wanted to start a coffee shop and post grad school we were looking for ways to get more involved in the Pittsburgh community. Since we both work full time, we figured starting small with a mobile trailer would be the best way to try it out. We bought an empty 1980s camper that was the perfect blank slate for us to build out our mobile coffee shop. After many months of renovating, we opened in September 2025!
Based on our sustainability backgrounds we knew we wanted to prioritize buying second hand items and sourcing locally roasted beans.
In October 2025 we expanded Sprig to include a mobile coffee cart! Our cart allows us to come to indoor events, especially during the colder months.
The trailer is currently parked at Allegheny RiverTrail Park, in Aspinwall, we’ve enjoyed getting to know the community and dogs at the park.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The process of building out the trailer came with many challenges. Because we did not have prior experience in coffee shop buildout, all of the equipment research, coffee trailer design, sourcing, construction, and marketing was new to us. Though some parts of build out process were hard, we learned tons of new skills, and we got really good at towing and parking a trailer!
An ongoing challenge for operations is the weather dependency of business, since we are outdoors the weather really impacts things! We also continuously struggle with content creation (LOL).
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Sprig operates on the weekends at Allegheny RiverTrail Park. We specialize in serving coffee and espresso based drinks, although we are also known for non typical coffee drinks like Fridge Cig (diet coke + lime + espresso) and Aloe Refresher! We are most proud of creating a welcoming environment for customers to enjoy a coffee. We also love our dog regulars who come by for their weekly pup cup.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
We don’t have a mentor specifically, but we have found that people are very willing to help and chat if we ever have any questions. We recommend just reaching out to whoever you want to speak to, even if they don’t have the answer, you’ve made a connection!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sprigcoffeecompany.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sprigcoffeeco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Sprig-Coffee-Company-61578762587161/
