For Lovebeans Coffeehouse, giving back to the community has always been the goal. Beth Ferester, CEO of Corcoran Ferester Realty, opened the doors to Lovebeans Coffeehouse in 2019. She wasn't planning on opening a coffeehouse, but when a space next to her office in Creekside became available, she saw the opportunity to create a place where people could gather and give back.
“I wanted [Lovebeans] to be something we could do for the community, because there weren’t any coffee houses here at that time,” said Ferester. “We’ve been given so much. Giving back is the right thing to do.”
Lovebeans Coffeehouse goes beyond coffee. It's a "Giving Back Coffeehouse”, meaning that each month, they choose a charity to support. Profits from Lovebeans merchandise (t-shirts, hats, mugs, even a cookbook that Beth wrote) are donated to the charity of the month. They have supported 25 charities so far, including Montgomery County Women’s Center, Compassion United, and Interfaith of The Woodlands.
They also host outdoor markets every third Saturday to raise funds for the selected charity of the month. During the market, 10% of all proceeds from Lovebeans’ regular sales are donated to the charity, along with all the fees local vendors pay to participate in the market. Vendors often become regulars, returning each month to sell jewelry, candles, crochet stuffed animals, plants, and more.
Even when it’s not a market day, Lovebeans Coffeehouse sees its fair share of regulars who stop by for “the usual”, or to meet their friends for book clubs and mom’s groups. Top-notch baristas whip up seasonal drinks (with syrups made from scratch), and talented bakers start their day at 5:30 a.m., preparing homemade pastries, muffins, and bread for sandwiches.
Several of the menu items found at Lovebeans are family recipes, like the biscuits, chicken salad, and the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. The cookie recipe – which is vegan and gluten free – is a special recipe from Ferester’s son, Ryan. In the 2000s, Ryan also created a vegan chocolate spread called “Lovebean Fudge Spread”, which became inspiration for the name of his mom’s coffeehouse: Lovebeans.
Family ties extend beyond Lovebeans’ name and recipes. Ferester’s granddaughter, Grace Petty, manages marketing for Lovebeans and works alongside her grandmother as a realtor at Corcoran Ferester Realty. Beth, who’s been selling homes for 40+ years and has lived in The Woodlands since 1998, has always had strong ties to the local community.
This year, she worked with Grace and her team to create a float for the Fourth of July parade that represented Lovebeans Coffeehouse and Corcoran Ferester Realty. Afterward, they donated the float – a miniature playhouse – to a family who fosters special needs children.
“We have a community [at Lovebeans] and a community [at Corcoran Ferester],” said Petty, “It really joins together to create one big family.”
