After trying her hand at start-ups ranging from RenCen shaped salt shakers to telegrams delivered by singing artisans, Monica Portman plans to open “Detroit Coaster Company” by the end of 2015.
A self-described “Detro-preneur” since 2012, and a certified change agent since 2011, she got the idea while attending an olive and sprouts pop-up dinner.
“There was a coffee table made of wood salvaged from a house in Woodbridge where a lady lived with 75 cats,” she says. “It had this shiny patina, and a repugnant yet appealing odor, but people were just ruining it with their mugs!”
And so a new business began to take shape! The new Detroit coaster will be a simple one – plain, metallic and round. “And it will hold any mug, cup or glass!” Portman says proudly.
At $120 apiece – or $720 for a set of six – she admits they’ll be a bit pricey. But she plans to offer a money-back guarantee. “We’ll be the first coaster maker to make that kind of commitment!” she says. And while the marketing strategy is still being developed, it will focus on comparing coasters to Detroiters.
“Go ahead, set any drink on us!” says Portman. “Our toughness and grittiness will overpower any unsightly ring!”
