Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Kirby
Hi Jacob, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Piecewise was opened in July 2019 as a vision of local community members Stan and Lindsey Scoma. They saw a need for their community to have a local gathering space and took it upon themselves to build Piecewise Coffee from the ground up! My brother and I, Columbia natives born and raised, purchased the business from them in 2022 when their season of life made it difficult to manage. We knew that we loved Piecewise and the mission of using coffee to build community- and felt the desire to do what we could to ensure that small local businesses stick around! We bought PW so that we could put our efforts back into building the communities that we call home!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have certainly been many challenges along the way. My brother and I do not come from a coffee background, but a small business background. There were so many days and weeks where the to-do list for the week was “here is a problem we’ve never faced before, let’s figure it out!” Thankfully we had/have a great team around of co-workers and friends and local business leaders that have made this process overall extremely rewarding and enjoyable – even if it’s not always smooth 😉 Some of the things that come to mind include a leaking ice machine, squirrels making their way through small holes in the exterior wall, no heat the day after Christmas break, a vendor running out of a product permanently that we had JUST released on our seasonal menu the week before, and so many other things. With a good team and a strong passion, we take everything as it comes head on and smile and laugh about them later !
As you know, we’re big fans of Piecewise Coffee Company. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At Piecewise, we think the coffee is a great medium to help people make connections that make their lives beautiful and meaningful. At the heart of our shop is a passion for contributing to the good of our local community and helping people feel at home in Columbia, SC. We serve coffee and local sourced pastries as a means to help people connect and build together! We’re known for our seasonal menu specials, our large parking and generous seating, and a passionate but non-pretentious approach to teaching people how to enjoy coffee! I hope that people know that at Piecewise, they are locals too! Our community is so enriched but the comings and goings of people that pass through our capital city, and we hope that their time with us at Piecewise in Cayce or on Devine Street helps them feel at home in the city we share!
What were you like growing up?
My brother/co-owner (zach) and I (Jacob) are identical twins born and raised here in the Columbia metro. We were both really driven and passionate from a young age to make an impact on our community. Jacob was really into music and theater and books and student government, while Zach from an early age had the drive to be a small business owner and help people through providing opportunities in the community to excel. Jacob tends to be the more nurturing/warm/hospitable one, while Zach has the knack for seeing practical solutions and problem solving. We make a great team complementing each other’s weaknesses and bolstering each other’s strengths- it’s a twin thing 😉
Contact Info:
- Website: https://piecewisecoffee.com
- Instagram: piecewisecoffee
- Facebook: Piecewise Coffee- Cayce
