To the International Organization for Standardization, innovation is a new or changed entity, realizing or redistributing value. Several other definitions of innovation describe it as introducing something new or making existing creations better. For Hai Nguyen, owner and operator of The Shed Coffee, innovation for her cafe began in her kitchen in Saigon, Vietnam. Formerly a Strategic Planning Director in an advertising agency whose teenage dream was to own a boutique flower shop, coffee transformed her from “a thinker to a doer.”
This love for coffee did not end with simply savoring a few cups a day. Once she and her husband had decided to leave Vietnam, Hai began to focus on learning about coffee and achieving international certifications about turning green coffee beans into sensory delights through roasting and brewing. Her kitchen became a small lab where countless experiments on numerous recipes took plce. “For me specialty coffee is difficult, complicated but extremely interesting,” she says.
Seeking the adventure of rewriting their story in a new country, Hai arrived in PEI with her family in the Christmas of 2020. Her approach to this new life was to apply the knowledge she gathered during her 15 years in the corporate world. And it all seems to be working out. The Shed officially opened at 99 Pownal Street in 2021. Only a year later, it opened another location in the newly built Charlottetown Library and Learning Centre on Queen Street. In this second location, it partners with local bakeries and restaurants to supplement its drink offerings.
Innovation is in the very DNA of this business and Hai has no plans to stop. The Shed upgraded their facility to, “become one of the coolest specialty coffee makers across Atlantic Canada. For us KOOL means fun and convenient yet still not compromising the quality of coffee.” They introduced Koolbrew, a cold brew canned coffee, to the market last summer and are working on a ready-to-use coffee concentrate. The Shed will also launch a brand new roastery this March.
Hai and The Shed are innovating with the mission of erasing the border between coffee and coffee lovers. Collaborating with mentors as well as provincial and regional stakeholders in the business and food ecosystem has been key to achieving this mission. PEI Connectors tops the list as organizations Hai recommends that immigrant entrepreneurs connect with.
The Shed’s innovative spirit has not gone unnoticed. The cafe is loved by customers who enjoy the care and attention involved in roasting and brewing the coffee. The Shed was also ranked one of the best coffee roasters in Canada by Reader’s Digest in 2022 and 2023. Hai feels lucky to be able to rewrite her own story here on PEI. For her part, she has been nominated as one of 25 most powerful businesswomen in Atlantic Canada in 2024 by Atlantic Business Magazine.
By maintaining the dedication to quality and innovation with which they first began, for The Shed Coffee, the sky's the limit.
Written by: Elizabeth Iwunwa
Photography: Mostafa Alizadegan
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