{"id":3521,"date":"2015-02-26T16:07:47","date_gmt":"2015-02-27T00:07:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/alumni\/2015\/02\/26\/the-perks-of-pop-up-success\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T06:43:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T06:43:24","slug":"the-perks-of-pop-up-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/alumni\/2015\/02\/26\/the-perks-of-pop-up-success\/","title":{"rendered":"The Perks of Pop"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nKat McIver \u201907<\/strong>
\nbelieves in following her dreams.\u00a0So when she and partner Angie Evans developed their\u00a0“pop-up coffee shop” at farmers’ markets around Long Beach, Calif., the couple embraced the adventure.<\/p>\n

\"img_0262-2\"<\/a>

McIver, serving up some of her homemade pastries. Photo by Asia Morris, Long Beach Post.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wide Eyes Open Palms, a name as intriguing as the locally sourced coffee and handmade pastries they serve, originally started as their \u201cside project\u201d to jobs in service and management industries. That changed when their venture\u00a0gained widespread popularity.<\/p>\n

McIver is the chef\u00a0and Evans the\u00a0barista. Together they create a food-and-beverage alchemy featuring\u00a0everything from Paleo chocolate-coconut cupcakes and organic hibiscus-lavender-agave tea to a host of specialty coffees.<\/p>\n

\u201cI make every single pastry from scratch and bake it before each market,\u201d McIver said.<\/p>\n

She credits much of her business acumen to Chapman University, where she earned a degree in political science. Her advice to budding entrepreneurs: \u201cGet as much experience as possible within your field in someone else’s business. And start saving. One of my Chapman business counselors told me from the get-go that it’s important to have some skin in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

McIver and Evans intend to use their success\u00a0to fuel a brick-and-mortar shop in Long Beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollow your heart and don’t be afraid of making a career out of your deepest passions,” McIver advised. “We did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo credit for featured image:\u00a0Long Beach Press Telegram<\/em><\/h6>\n
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