ROANOKE – In today’s economy most 23 year olds are lucky if they have their first full-time job in their field after graduating from college.
In this regard, Rachel and Luke Higginbotham have perhaps proved that age-old saying that “two heads are better than one” – the twins, originally from Buchanan, just opened the new coffee shop Froth in Roanoke along with their business partner Michael Carroll.
Froth is located in the Forum, off of Starkey Road, in the same location that used to house Mill Mountain Coffee. In fact, it was Mill Mountain Coffee’s presence that inspired the twins to open their own place. “Mill Mountain was a convenient place to meet for coffee and food in the morning. We got to know a lot of the regulars there as well as employees” explained Rachel. “We got to know Michael pretty well from being customers. He was the manager of Mill Mountain before they moved. When the space became available for lease, the three of us decided to team up together and start Froth.”
Froth officially opened for business on October 15, boasting a new kitchen and grill top and offering breakfast all day. With its warm colors and paintings hung from the wall in a gallery-esque display, it is easy to see the vibe that the twins wanted to create. “We wanted a classy look, we wanted something clean” said Luke.
The twins grew up on a farm in Buchanan, attending James River High School, from where they graduated in 2006. From there they both attended Virginia Western Community College for a year before transferring to Virginia Tech. “Both of us graduated from VT in 2011. My major was Agriculture and Applied Economics and Luke’s was Building Construction” said Rachel.
After college they both chose to remain in the area because of their fondness for it as well as their numerous friends and family in both the Botetourt and Roanoke areas.
True to twin style, after college both Higginbotham twins found themselves working in the same field: they both worked for construction companies. “I was working for a concrete construction company and Luke was working for a residential contractor in Blacksburg” explained Rachel. They both attribute much of the success of the remodeling of the former Mill Mountain to their construction backgrounds. “We were able to finish the construction as quick as we did thanks to the subcontractors who worked with us” said Rachel.
Both Rachel and Luke are now living in Roanoke with family, and they are optimistic about their future and the future of their business. During the Grand Opening, which was held mid-day on Friday October 29, the coffee shop was full of customers. “I’m just amazed” said Luke, “here it is, in the middle of the day, and look at this.”
Though a website for the coffee shop is still under construction, they do have a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/frothcoffee, with their menu available for those to see and delight over.
Story by Carrie E. Cox
