A Spartan entrepreneur’s success shaped by advice and resilience

When Tarek Chawich was a business student at Michigan State University, he split his time between attending class and managing Apple kiosks inside big-box stores around mid-Michigan. He learned firsthand how people shop, what sells and what keeps a business running. Instead of going on to work at the tech giant’s Cupertino headquarters after graduation, Chawich chose to open his own business: Château Coffee Co. in Lansing.

One of the most recent additions to the Greater Lansing café scene, with brick-and-mortar locations in Lansing and Okemos and a presence at the Meridian Farmers’ Market, Château Coffee Co. is finding success by focusing on local roots and global flavors. Chawich partners with local Lansing roastery 517 Coffee, and his friendly staff has grown to 30 and counting, brewing and serving delicious beverages along with serving French and Mediterranean-inspired drinks and pastries.

Shifting gears, achieving goals

“I always had an entrepreneurial mindset when I was younger and knew I eventually would like to own my own business,” says Chawich, who went to East Lansing High School. “There was no place I would have rather gone than Broad College of Business,” he says. He enrolled in the marketing research master’s program before deciding to adjust course.

Guidance from an advisor prompted him to pause his master’s and get a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management first. He graduated with both degrees in 2020, also earning minors in retail management from Broad and in entrepreneurship and innovation from the Burgess Institute. 

Chawich credits his time at MSU for shaping his entrepreneurial outlook, which has served him well, both in good and in more challenging times. “There was a time when I thought we weren’t going to make it,” he says. During his business’ first summer, when students were off from college, construction closed most entrances to the company’s Lansing location. At the time, he feared having to close for good. “We stayed resilient and opened our second location just two years later. I always think back to that time to stay humble and motivate myself.”

Staying connected to the Spartan community

Even as his business expands, Chawich’s Spartan ties remain strong. Château Coffee Co. frequently collaborates with MSU student groups, including VIM, the student-run fashion and lifestyle publication, and the Interior Design Student Organization. The university’s marketing research program is even planning to conduct a study for his company.

“I’m really proud to be a Spartan,” Chawich says. “I love to say that I graduated from here.”

That sense of belonging — to both community and university — continues to fuel his success as a small business owner in Michigan.

“It’s a great state with great people,” says Chawich about Michigan, “I’m happy to be around friends, family and the alma mater.”