Keeping Our Eye On: Abigail Chen

Abigail Chen

Age: 32
Hometown: Jackson
Education:  Homeschooled
Current Position: President, Seattle Drip Coffee Company

Immediately following high school, Abigail Chen moved to Jackson to dance with Ballet Magnificat. “I worked and toured with them for four years booking the tours as well as being Tour Director,” Chen says.

After taking time to dance professionally in Philadelphia, Pa., Chen moved into the business world as acting director of sales for the Evanston Holiday Inn in Chicago. “In 2001, upon moving back to Jackson for my husband Aaron’s higher education, I began helping out a friend with his brand new coffee concept, Seattle Drip Coffee Company,” Chen says

Seattle Drip quickly gained popularity in Central Mississippi, with Chen holding every position from bookkeeper to barista to eventually president of the holding company in 2008. In June, the Chen family purchased four of the corporate Seattle Drip locations in the metro Jackson area operating all with the mission statement: “Serve people, work hard, have fun!”

Chen says Seattle Drip’s modus operandi is to be a breath of fresh air in the community by building relationships with people via a cup of coffee. “Consumers can buy coffee anywhere these days, but we want customers to frequent Seattle Drip to receive more than just a beverage,” Chen says. She adds that developing personal relationships with customers and providing an environment where they feel welcome and uplifted is the company’s main goal.

Mississippi’s best kept secret: My good friend, Allison Jenkins, and her husband, Mathew Magee’s, band Wooden Finger — they are fabulous.

Must-have Mississippi food:  Panasia (best Asian mix with incredible atmosphere), Saigon (best Vietnamese food anywhere) and Margaritas (best chips and salsa). It’s a tie!

Favorite hangout:  Watching a movie and having a glass of Pinot Noir at home with my husband. Spending every possible moment making lasting memories with my children, Iris, 4, and Isaiah, 2.