Bru Coffee + Beer House

A funny thing happened when Tina Wang was working in a coffee house, while putting her self through university. She was so drawn to the java culture, she decided to make her living in that part of the hospitality industry once she finished her degree in business management.

“I fell in love with the coffee and the store,” says Tina, who is now the proud owner of BRU Coffee + Beer House on Jasper Avenue. “I loved the people who stayed in the coffee shop. I started learning more about coffee and went to talk to people in the industry. After I finished school, I managed a Second Cup franchise for about six years, which helped a lot.”

BRU is the realization of a great deal of homework Tina put into her efforts. And, while her book smarts were instrumental in making the shop a reality, the real payback was in the human experience gleaned from interacting with the customers.

“I’m kind of shy, but my regular customers helped me become a bit more outgoing,” says Tina. “You can learn a lot about life experiences from talking to them. I found it pretty interesting, especially when they’re relaxing in a coffee shop.”