Meet Patrick and Jennifer Higgins, and Libby Ward of Moby’s Coffee & Tea Co. in North Hollywood

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Patrick and Jennifer met working at Starbucks. When they got married, their wedding ceremony featured a one-act play describing their meet-cute. In the play, the coffee shop was called Moby’s (a joke on Starbucks, which comes from the book Moby Dick). When they had an opportunity to buy a place, the name stuck.!

Libby was a regular from day one. A coffee-lover, writer, and Seattle native, she was drawn to the eccentric community vibe and tasty drinks. She kept her own dinosaur mug on-premises, came by daily for her dark mocha with marshmallows and quickly became part of the Moby’s family.

Sometime during their collective musings, Patrick and Jen suggested that they were unsure whether they would ultimately keep or sell the shop. Since Patrick is also an accomplished director, writer and production designer, and Jen, a make-up artist, actor and producer…they had plenty of creative projects to keep them busy.

Libby suggested that if they were interested in a “middle thing:” having a business partner, they should hit her up first. They did! Now, the three amigos are making creative projects, tasty coffee, and nurturing an eccentric creative community, together!!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
A smooth road?! Highly unlikely.

But, teamwork, friendship, and an outstanding community have helped us through family emergencies, economic downturns, equipment failures, and a robbery! Even the head of our R2D2 trash can got stolen, but a delightful customer brought us a new R2 before the week was even over. We like taking care of our family of customers, and we’re pleased that we take equally good care of us!

Moby’s Coffee & Tea Co. – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition
Moby’s is all about community! Our ceramic mugs are made around the corner at Berman Ceramic Arts. Our Groundworks coffee roaster and Cake Monkey Bakery are here in the neighborhood. Even our bees are local! (Bill’s Bees).

All of our drinks are organic, and we have a wide range of options from simple to sumptuous- like our signature Shiny Squirrel (a blended drink: espresso, chocolate, white chocolate, caramel, and sprinkles)! Our coffees beverages are carefully crafted, and our tea selection is curated in-house. Jen is an expert herbalist and blends many of our 40 different tea selections herself. Ask her about the perfect tea for the vibe, health benefit, or flavor profile you’re craving. If you like to brew at home, we even sell them by the ounce.

We are always adjusting and adding to our food offerings based on customer feedback. Come by and scope out our menu of empanadas, oatmeals, yogurt parfaits, and waffles. While you’re here, plug into our computer counter to get some work done, or just chill and enjoy conversation and the curious collection of awesome art created by Moby’s employees and regulars.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
We’ve been open for almost eight years now! We think that being able to roll with the punches and weather the tumultuous times makes us pretty successful. A flexible approach to running our ever-evolving business and a dedication to sharing our passion and joy has certainly been key. We greatly appreciate having employees and regulars who stick with us through thick and thin and shine their passion and joy right back.

Our goals for the business are always changing, and we look forward to growing and evolving in collaboration with our community, and with the same fun, flexible, and artsy attitude as always.