Community Highlights: Meet Febe Valdez of Willow & Fern

Today we’d like to introduce you to Febe Valdez.

Hi Febe, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Brighton, Colorado but went out of state to Florida for college. Throughout my college career, studying for my business management degree, I would brainstorm business ideas with my dad. For as long as I can remember he had his own remodeling company and a few other side hustles (a.i. real estate). I knew I did want to start my own business as some point, but I didn’t plan to do it so soon after finishing college. I desired to work a “9-5” job with “stability,” but my dad had other plans. We ultimately decided that coffee shop was exactly what Brighton needed. Luckily, my four years of college i spent working at the coffee shop we had on campus, and I gained much of the experience I have in crafting drinks.
So we began the search for a location. It had only been a few weeks of searching before he came across a historic home in the center of Brighton. The block we are located on has been set aside as a part of the plan to allow more development in Brighton, so the majority of the block are homes that have been transformed into businesses. We closed on the house on May 16th, 2024 and quickly began the remodeling process. It was a long summer of transforming this historic home into the cafe that it is now. We finally completed “the build” in October of 2024 and obtained our business license shortly after. We had our grand opening ceremony on October 8th and have been staying busy since!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I had to learn to be patient as the space was being transformed. There are many loops you have to jump through when forming a new business. Things such as building permits and city codes were something we had to work through for months.
On the business side, we’ve learned to adapt to changes and take suggestions where we can. Opening the shop in the fall was risky since winter time is the slowest for most cafes. Luckily, we haven’t faced any major hiccups we couldn’t overcome.

We’ve been impressed with Willow & Fern, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Mainly, we specialize in serving craft coffee and other high-quality beverages. Three of our highlights include: gifts, coffee, community. There is a large side to our business that includes retail. On that side, we aim to offer locally sourced goods including art, handmade stationary, ceramics, and woodworks.

Our focus on community stems from the desire to create a “social hub.” A space for people to come together and work, celebrate, and even grieve. In an effort to accommodate, we have provided a variety of different seating areas and have worked hard on making the space feel cozy and inviting.

I strongly believe our level of customer service sets us apart from others. We take the fact that we are in a house to a literal sense of being welcoming to all, our regular customers have quickly grown us and vice versa. In a sense, we are looking to add more members to the Willow & Fern family rather than just grow our business.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite childhood memories was when my family would take our annual road trip. Being the youngest of four at the time, I would automatically end up in the small seat between my parents in our Dodge pick-up truck. I vividly remember just constantly being face to face with the AC vents and covering my face with my pink butterfly blanket. I still have the blanket to this day.

Pricing:

• No extra charge for alternative milks

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willow.fern.brighton/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Willow-Fern/61560824314399/#
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/willow-and-fern-brighton

Image Credits
Isabel Larimer
Febe Valdez
Brighton Chamber of Commerce