The aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans dances through the streets of Norman, beckoning coffee lovers and community seekers alike to the doorstep of Yellow Dog Coffee, founded by Sereta Wilson and her husband, Rob, along with their partner Kate Bierman. We recently had the pleasure to sit down with Sereta and learn why this coffee shop has become a cherished local institution, known for its ethically sourced beans, vibrant art scene, and unwavering commitment to supporting local businesses.

Sereta’s journey from a telecommunications professional to a thriving entrepreneur is a story of transformation and dedication. After leaving her 16-year career at Cox Communications, Sereta took a leap of faith and ventured into the world of business ownership. Her first endeavor, Annie’s Ruff House, a doggy daycare, was born out of a glaring need in the Norman community. “In 2009, there were no doggy daycares in Norman. Zero,” Sereta recalls. Driven by her passion for pets and her entrepreneurial spirit, she quickly turned this gap in the market into a thriving business. She even served on city council, largely due to the problems she saw with the ordinances around dogs.

“I thought, you know, I could affect change at the shelter, so I got really involved with our shelter. They were building a new building, and all this stuff. I remember thinking back then that, well, you know, you can get a new building; you can get 3,000 new buildings, but if you don’t have the right programs and the right ordinances to support your building, then it’s just a pretty building, so that’s kind of how I got there.”

Sereta’s entrepreneurial journey didn’t stop with Annie’s and city council service. When her husband, Rob, expressed his desire to pursue coffee roasting, the idea for Yellow Dog Coffee began to take shape. “Rob decided on coffee roasting,” Sereta shares, “So, that’s kind of the genesis of how we got to Doggy Daycare and coffee roasting.” In their partnership with with Kate Bierman, they’ve also recently acquired the former Rusty’s Custard Factory. Rob could be seen excitedly bounding out the door during our conversation to announce “I’m going to make some cold brew custard and try it out!” ever the idea generator & action taker.

At the core of Yellow Dog Coffee lies a deep commitment to ethical sourcing and community involvement. Sereta emphasizes that their coffee is “Coffee Cobbled Together by Community,” a philosophy that guides every aspect of their business. By sourcing beans from socially responsible farms across the globe, including women-owned cooperatives in Ethiopia, Yellow Dog Coffee ensures that every cup supports sustainable practices and uplifts communities beyond Norman’s borders. “We try to choose farms that sustain something where they are,” Sereta explains, highlighting their dedication to making a positive impact through their business.

We choose farms that sustain
the communities where they are.
Sereta, on their commitment to sustainable farming practices

Yellow Dog Coffee’s commitment to community extends far beyond its ethically sourced beans. The coffee shop serves as a vibrant platform for local artists, a passion close to Sereta’s heart. As a board member of Oklahoma Story Works, a non-profit dedicated to live theater storytelling, Sereta has woven her love for the arts into the fabric of Yellow Dog Coffee. The walls of the shop are adorned with the works of local creatives, offering them a space to display and sell their art.

“Almost everything’s for sale, and they get 100% of their sales.”
Sereta

This spirit of community support extends to fellow entrepreneurs as well. Yellow Dog Coffee actively collaborates with local businesses, such as Meant to be Bakery, showcasing the rich tapestry of Norman’s entrepreneurial scene. Sereta’s vision for the future is ambitious and inspiring, aiming to transform the area around Yellow Dog Coffee into a thriving district that celebrates the arts and fosters innovation. “To turn this little area of Norman into… I want to just embrace the arts. I want to embrace entrepreneurship. Those are my two, you know, loves, really. Arts and entrepreneurship, and obviously people,” Sereta jokes about the THREE things she really loves.

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Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Yellow Dog Coffee is the way it has been stitched together by the community it serves. From the furniture sourced through Facebook Marketplace, each piece carrying its own unique story, to the local artists whose works grace the walls, the coffee shop is a testament to the power of connection and shared stories. “I think all of those pieces of furniture have little bits of their life energy on them,” Sereta reflects, “and everybody can feel it. Every one of those pieces of furniture had a little story.
And then we even have people, every now and then, I’ll come in, and there’ll be a piece of furniture in here that I’ve not seen before, because somebody donated it.”

One favorite piece in particular, the black couch, came from a man and his daughter in Cole, Oklahoma.

Sereta told me the hilarious story:

“We drive up, and this dog meets us, and he was just happy. He was a happy, happy dog.

And he comes ambling up to me, and just wiggle butts his way over to me, and I scratch down him and stuff, and here comes his guy, who could be the dog in people form. He was just happy, and cute, and he looked like a guy who was about to walk on his hands at any moment. It turns out, he and his daughter did a circus. It was not an animal circus; it was an aerial circus. So we bought that from a circus guy, and he LOOKED like a circus guy. He had on a suit jacket and tights. Yes. And a handlebar moustache.”

“So we bought that from a circus guy, and he LOOKED like a circus guy. He had on a suit jacket and tights. Yes. And a handlebar moustache.”

As Yellow Dog Coffee continues to grow and evolve, Sereta remains committed to her vision of cultivating a space that nurtures the arts, supports local businesses, and brings people together over a shared love of coffee. With its warm atmosphere, ethically sourced beans, and dedication to uplifting the community, Yellow Dog Coffee has become more than just a place to grab a cup of joe; it’s a symbol of what can be achieved when passion, purpose, and community intertwine.

Sereta’s vision is shared by the many many people who call Yellow Dog their meeting place, study spot, morning date place or quiet daytime workplace.

Visit Yellow Dog Coffee at 222 S. Porter Ave. Norman, OK 73069 or their drive-thru location at 1230 Alameda St. Norman, OK 73071. Check out their featured business profile below and learn more about them on their socials here:

Amy Singleton is a contributing author and online editor for Whirlocal South OKC, Moore, and Norman. She’s the host of the Queen Lead Podcast, a motivational & marketing keynote speaker, and the CEO at HITE.