Matt & Jess McNeilly | Coffee, Connection, + Brand Strategy

Merci Coffee + Connections
Coffee Truck

Matt and Jess McNeilly give every bit of authenticity, colour, and intentionality into what they put their hands to. Serving up coffee and connections, Merci will keep you smiling and on your toes with their personal branding and flavour. Matt and Jess live and work in Chilliwack, British Columbia. 

GM: Tell us about your present creative expression(s).

Matt: Currently most of my creative ideas/expressions go into the Merci Coffee Truck. Along with design and brand creation/strategy stuff I find a lot of creative expression through sports like skiing, skateboarding, and the art and style involved in those sports. 

Jess: Ooo, fashion is one for sure! I love to express myself through what I wear and how I wear each day. It’s mostly colourful and always, always different. I don’t like to do the same thing twice. Also cooking! I love to look through cookbooks and make fun and usually healthy recipes! I love to play with new foods and flavours and definitely substitute when I don’t have the exact ingredient. Display is key, so I like to have beautiful dishes to place my food on or in. 

GM: Merci has such fun and unique branding! Can you give us a glimpse into your brand strategy?

MM: Thanks so much. We wanted the brand to excite a wide variety of people, whether they care about specialty coffee or not. This means customer service and making sure everyone feels welcomed is a top priority. We also try to have a lot of fun with it. The fact that Jess and I are the only ones ever working in the truck is also a huge part of the brand and it allows us to be massively relational while serving the product of coffee and connection. 

JM: Be you! Cuz’ there’s only one you. :)

GM: Who or what inspires you?

MM: Skateboarders, my wife, people who are passionate about what they do. 

JM: The Creator of Love. 

GM: What has been the most rewarding part of Merci Coffee + Connections?

MM: Hands down the people we have met; we’ve made best friends and been able to love and be loved by all kinds of people. 

JM: Totally! Agreed! 100%!

GM: Merci is officially 1 year old- what have you learned about yourselves in the process?

MM: I’ve learned a lot about the food truck industry and have a massive respect for the amount of hustling that it takes. Also, I’m still in the learning process of how to balance work and life when it’s your own business, and that success at home with family and friends is far more valuable than success in the workplace. 

JM: Wow. We are 1! Sometimes 1 felt so far away. I am learning a lot about what I like and want, and what I don’t like and don’t want, and how I can create that or change that. I am also learning how to say no. Which is hard for me. I am a bit of a people pleaser and I also want to be part of everything (laughs). But I am learning how to say no, even to good things, so I can say yes to amazing things. 

GM: What is something you want others to know about pursuing their dream career?

MM: It is totally worth doing what you are passionate about and actually better for the world when your work brings you to life. We live in a part of the world that allows us to switch jobs without too much fuss, so take a risk on a dream! Also, read the book “Dream Big” by Bob Goff and have some of those dreams challenged. 

JM: You can! And Believe you can! Pursuing your dream career can seem scary and big and overwhelming. Focus on the now. What can I do today? Then do that. 

GM: What is the dream for Merci?

MM: Honestly, the dream was to get the thing going and now that it is we are trying to figure out how we see the business evolving. Because it’s so based around Matt + Jess + Coffee + Connections, it can easily turn into anything from a storefront to traveling baristas, etc. 

GM: Challenge us/ Give a creative charge.

MM: Ask yourself honestly, ‘why does this creative pursuit matter?’ Whatever you come up with is guaranteed to spark some passion, whether that means mixing something up or going ahead with what you're doing.

JM: Ooo, I love a good challenge! How about this... Do you like where you are? Why are you doing it? What do you want? This is your life! Live it joyfully and fully! 

GM: How can we follow what you’re doing?

MM: Currently, the Instagram and Facebook handle is @mercicoffeetruck, I tried TikTok but it’s less active for sure! If you want to read some coffee blogs or buy a birthday gift, check out www.mercicoffeetruck.com