Hidden Gems: Meet Dylan Capshaw of Stemistry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dylan Capshaw.

Hi Dylan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember, always starting little businesses here and there. My first legitimate business was in 2017 when I was eleven years old. It was Capshaw Wildlife, a non-profit 501(c)3 I created to help animals around the world. I then created For The Frontline, a non-profit 501(c)3 in April of 2020 to utilize 3D printers in an effort to mass produce a revolutionary mask template that allowed one surgical mask to be used seven times safely at the start of the pandemic. The next business was The Sanitation Stations, PPE dispensing vending machines that I placed around the state, my first being at the Scottsdale Quarter. My goal for every business was not to make money, but rather to help my community and spread kindness whether it was through helping people or animals. During Covid, I was in online school and pretty bored, so I started selling plant clippings from the weird plants I had to feed my exotic rescues in my wildlife rescue online.

The business took off within a month thanks to my unique marketing and I quickly ran out of plants to cut and sell so I reached out to floral distributors and expanded my inventory online. Over the course of two years, I boxed and shipped out over 10,000 orders alone, saving up enough money to launch a real brick-and-mortar business. I combined my passion for coffee with this flower shop and created Stemistry, a place where everyone could feel welcomed and a neighborhood space for people to relax. I’ve learned an immense amount about business since launching Stemistry and I love every day of it.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s definitely been challenging, mainly due to my age. I started conducting job interviews at 15 years old with adults and I was a kid who has never had a job before, let alone been interviewed for a job. I dealt with people thinking it was a joke and not taking me seriously. I had to learn how payroll worked, scheduling, managing a team, etc. I feel supporting one another is one of the best things we can do for each other.

A couple of months back my biggest inspiration, Mark Cuban, reached out to me out of the blue to congratulate my success and offer some advice. Something I’ve said since the day I started my business is why wait? If you have an idea, what are you waiting for? Sure I was eleven, but I had a phone at my fingertips and access to Youtube which contained more than enough knowledge to teach myself the process of getting started. Nobody is going to push you to succeed, and anything you dream about can happen if you put in the work.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Stemistry?
Stemistry combines the ancient practice of flower arranging with the edible masterpieces of the barista’s craft – offering ethically sourced bouquets and coffee under one roof in a fully immersive experience. Stemistry’s online store also allows customers to experience the perfect gift with a curated monthly subscription flower service that delivers boxed flowers, pots, and other stylish arrangements directly to customers’ homes.

Stemistry is a trendy Flower Bar and Coffee Lab focused on innovative drinks and affordable flowers. Stemistry’s Coffee Lab blurs the line between flowers and coffee creating unique drinks never seen before. Their Build Your Own Bouquet Bar allows customers to utilize creativity and assemble their own bouquet with help from florists on staff and inspiration around the store. Stemistry also has a breakfast and lunch menu as well as a full pastry menu filled with locally made baked goods. Redefining norms is Stemistry’s specialty.

Stemistry is now expanding to Phoenix, opening next month in Heritage Square:

The second location is a really cool and unique space in the heart of Downtown Phoenix. Expanding has been my dream since I first opened the doors of Stemistry but it was difficult knowing when the right time to expand would be. Within a couple of months of doing business, I fully recouped my initial investment in getting Stemistry up and running so I knew it was profitable. I waited until I had a really good team that I trusted in place and I started looking at spaces available. I eventually found a historic building in Downtown Phoenix. The only issue was they had a lengthy approval process and a lot of applicants including another coffee shop that was almost through the whole process and about to sign. I applied and went through the whole process including board meetings and late nights working on paperwork with my attorneys but eventually, I got the email saying we were approved and I knew it was meant to be!

The history of the new location:

Stemistry is in the Teeter-Carriage House, one of the buildings located on Block 14 of the original townsite of Phoenix dating back to the late 1800s. The Teeter-Carriage house was built in 1899 as the mule barn for the Bouvier-Teeter house. It is typical of the traditional carriage house structure, with vehicle, animal, and tack storage below, and a loft for feed above. Detached carriage houses were common before garages and carports became popular. The neighboring Bouvier-Teeter house was built in 1899 by Leon Bouvier. It is a Pyramid Cottage style home, the simplest type of single-family dwelling during the late Victorian period, a style that is a direct predecessor of the bungalow. Leon Bouvier was a cattleman and flour miller. Bouvier sold the home to Eliza Teeter in 1911 and she, in turn, rented the property until she moved into it in 1919.

Stemistry wants to honor these original settlers of Phoenix and not let their history be lost. We renamed all of our best-selling drinks to be named off of the original property owners at the square. Better yet, we have matched the flavor profiles of each drink to match the personalities of the people they are named after.

Something we are offering in our new Phoenix location:

I’m offering a picnic experience at this location that I’m really excited about. My goal is will give people a chance to shut off their devices and relax in this special piece of Phoenix. The exact details are not solidified yet, but for a set price, people will be able to purchase our “Picnic Package” which gets them a picnic basket packed with flowers, a blanket, lattes, appetizers, and candles if it’s at night. We will also be offering local delivery to the surrounding area so people can purchase fresh arrangements for same-day delivery, this is available for Scottsdale as well!

Something unique about our coffee:

When I was designing my menu and formulating my drinks I decided that I wanted to mix the two aspects of Stemistry, flowers, and coffee, into the drinks. I did this by creating our floral latte line, lattes that are infused with a pure pressed extract from flowers. Our best seller and my personal favorite are the Rose Latte. This drink is a latte with fresh rose extract infused in the drink and a rose petal topping. Other drinks in this lineup include our Lavender Latte, Wild Hibiscus Latte, and Flower Garden Latte.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Youtube has been a huge help in getting my business set up. I have learned an incredible amount through watching videos of other entrepreneurs working and showing their work.

Contact Info:

• Website: Stemistry.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/stemistryaz
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/stemistryaz
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dylancapshaw
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/stemistry-scottsdale