Losing foot traffic after the move
“We used to have a lot of foot traffic over on Tillery on the East Side. People getting lunch would pop in, and we have none of that now.”
Founder conversationBuilder <$5m
How East Austin Succulents Fell From $1.2M to $300K After a Move and Got No Deal
Owner Eric Pedley explains grafting rare succulents, a move away from foot traffic, $45K of debt and why Nathan passed on investing.
Eric Pedley · East Austin Succulents
Published September 2, 2026About this resource
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What you’ll learn
Nathan Latka visits Eric Pedley's East Austin Succulents, which moved from a high foot traffic location to a hidden one and saw sales fall from about $1.2M in its best year to roughly $300K. Eric explains grafting, a soil mix that keeps plants alive for good, $45K of debt and the lack of a growth plan, and Nathan suggests a coffee truck and event outreach before passing on an investment.
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A soil mix that never needs replacing
“Also, I think that our soil mix is not a good business model because when people grow in our soil mix, these things don't die.”
Why grafting speeds up growth
“Because you're taking something that's slow and you're putting it onto something that's fast so that it will grow 10 times faster and be way less likely to die.”
Coffee truck on-site idea
“We put in 10 ks, we get some small round tables, we distribute to the property. Get a, we convince a coffee truck to come, right?”
Why the owner calls it a poor investment
“That's why I don't think that I'm a very good investment, and it's not really the most scalable business because so much of the business is just hard work.”
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Eric Pedley
Owner · East Austin Succulents
- Company revenue
- $300K
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