Photos courtesy of the Botanist Bean.
By Kyle Marie McMahon
Madison Overbey had long dreamed of owning an espresso cart, so when her partner’s love of coffee grew, they decided to make it a reality. After two years of planning, Madison and Dan Blyskal opened their mobile espresso business in May of 2024 with their first booking at an engagement party. They dubbed their business Botanist Bean, a name that evokes elegance for weddings but is also whimsical—after all, coffee comes from a bean. It is also a name they can grow with, as the hope is to expand their services into a small nursery selling houseplants. After selling their brew at breweries in the mornings, they are now a staple at the Cary Farmers Market and also cater weddings and other events.
Madison and Dan both still work full-time jobs. To them, the business is a passion project that brings them closer to the community. Finding a good cup of coffee while shopping at a local event can be difficult, so their cart serves a much-needed niche. As Madison says, “There’s nothing better than walking around a shop, coffee in hand.” Their brew is tasty, too, and they also offer hot chocolate to satisfy younger taste buds. With the aim of keeping their ingredients locally sourced, Botanist Bean uses high-quality local beans from Counter Culture and Workbench Roasters, a fellow Cary Farmers Market seller.
Having moved to Cary from Raleigh not long before opening Botanist Bean, Dan and Madison look at their business as a way to connect with people. They love seeing the same faces at the market every Saturday or chatting with newcomers at other local events. Madison says, “Sometimes I miss it even when we are on vacation, that community involvement and being a part of special events and moments for people.”
