Rebecca Turri has a unique ability to make everyone feel like an old friend. When she senses someone is having a bad day, she is quick to brighten their mood with a warm smile and a hot cup of coffee. While she may not always remember your name, she’ll definitely remember your go-to order, whether it’s an Americano with vanilla and just the right amount of cream.
Turri (Business Administration, ’21) is the proud owner of Lovebird Coffee Company, which started inside a refurbished 1960 Kenskill trailer turned mobile coffee shop. The business quickly became a favorite on campus, drawing long lines of students, staff, and faculty daily for its lattes, cold brews, and strawberry matcha.
Though she never originally planned to run a coffee business, the challenges of graduating from college during the pandemic pushed her in an unexpected direction. Lovebird emerged after a series of setbacks, including falling victim to a pyramid scheme, a short-lived tech job, and months of unemployment. But Turri, a Southern California native, had the grit and confidence to push forward. Raised by a single mother and independent since age 15, she knew she had the strength to become an entrepreneur.
“I didn’t know I wanted to own a business,” Turri said. “But I knew that if I was going to take a risk, and if the differentiator was going to be based on my work ethic, no one was going to stop me.”
In May 2023, Turri found a listing for the Kenskill trailer on Facebook Marketplace and bought it for $500. With a loan from a family friend, she, her husband David, and her best friend Kennedy Johnston spent six months restoring the trailer. They removed old paint, cleared out a squirrel’s stash of acorns, replaced broken windows, and repaired rotting wood and grime-covered tile. By spring 2024, the trailer was ready to operate as a fully functional mobile coffee shop outside of Holt Hall.
The success of Lovebird wasn’t built overnight, Turri, 26, says. It’s the result of consistent effort and long 60-hour workweeks. She’s spent 10-hour days inside the trailer, managing business orders, building relationships, focusing on marketing, and keeping everything running smoothly.
Turri’s attention to detail is one of her key strengths, said Johnston, who moved from Southern California to help launch Lovebird. “She’s always thinking of things that others might never think of,” Johnston said. “And she genuinely cares about the people around her—how they’re feeling and what they need.”
For Johnston, starting Lovebird with Turri has been life-changing. “It’s given me meaning,” she said. “I get to spend time with my best friend, work in one of the most beautiful college campuses, hire amazing students, and become part of my new community.”
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