About Angela Vendetti
I'm on a mission to help independent restaurant and café owners skip the costly learning curve and build profitable, sustainable businesses. The odds of success for startup restaurants and cafés can be challenging, but with the right strategy, systems, and coaching, you can dramatically improve your chances of success.
Before entering the hospitality industry, I earned a Business degree from Drexel University and spent three years working for a multinational information technology company in both the United States and abroad. After experiencing two corporate layoffs in just two and a half years, I decided to take control of my future and opened my first restaurant—a decision that launched a lifelong passion for helping independent food businesses succeed.
In 2004, I co-founded Mugshots Coffeehouse, an independent coffee shop named for its original location across from Philadelphia's historic Eastern State Penitentiary. Over the next 12 years, I grew the business from a single neighborhood café to five successful locations throughout Philadelphia. In 2013, after completing the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at the Community College of Philadelphia, I launched a "Farm to Office" catering division as part of the company's strategic growth plan. After more than a decade of building, operating, and scaling the business, I sold Mugshots and founded my restaurant consulting practice.
During its 12-year run, Mugshots earned numerous awards and recognition, including Best of Philly from Philadelphia Magazine in 2005, Best Coffeehouse from the AOL City Guide in 2005 and 2008, Philly's Best Coffee Shop from NBC 10 in 2009, and Philly Top Spots from CBS Philly in 2014. Soon after being awarded the Triple Bottom Line Award from the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia in 2005, Mugshots became a founding B-Corporation, part of a growing global movement of people using business as a force for good.
Like many restaurant owners, my first few years were defined by long hours, constant stress, and an unhealthy work-life balance. I eventually realized that if I wanted the business to support my life—instead of consume it—I needed to build better systems, strengthen my team, and lead differently. That transformation didn't just make the business more enjoyable; it made it more profitable.
Today, I help independent restaurant and café owners achieve those same results. As a restaurant consultant, I work with restaurant entrepreneurs on startup, SBA financing, profitability, operations, leadership development, and sustainable growth. My goal is simple: help owners build businesses that are financially healthy, operationally efficient, and rewarding to own.
