Episode 2: Mud + Char

On this episode of The Dash Diaries we sit down with Sara Funk, owner of Mud/Char Coffee + Fare, to hear the real story behind running a bustling neighborhood spot. Sara shares hard-won lessons in leadership, resilience, and community-building from life behind the counter and how those same principles shape her day-to-day as a mom of five. Warm, candid, and practical, this conversation explores work/life integration, creative problem-solving, and the small rituals that keep a family and a business thriving. Tune in for honest takeaways and inspiring moments from a woman who wears many hats with heart.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Welcome to the Dash Diaries where magic meets hustle. I'm Julie here as always with Miss Tanya. Hey guys. And each episode we dive into the origin stories of local creatives and small business owners who turned a tiny spark into something truly dazzling. Today's guest is Sarah Bunk. Hey! The amazing heart and hands behind Mud and Char Coffee and Fair right here in Downer's Grove. The sweetest coffee house rooted in such warmth where every cup is truly crafted with care and every ingredient is very thoughtfully chosen.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Amazing! Before we get started with our interview of Miss Sarah, I just wanted to share with our listeners that we're neighbors. So this is really cool and poetic that we have Sarah and Mud and Char as our first real episode beyond Dash of Dust. Um, and they are our orientation business. And what I mean by that is every time people are coming to us and saying, Where are you? Where are you located? All we have to say is, Oh, we're by Mud and Char. And they're like, Oh yeah, I know where that is. Yeah, that's true. So thank you for being like a beacon in the neighborhood so that people can find us because they know you.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

That's so funny because I say that about dance. Oh, like I'm by dance. Oh, yeah, no.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

So whether you already know about mud and char or you're just tuning in for the first time, let's learn a little bit more. So tell us, Miss Sarah, about the where did you get the start, the idea? How did you begin?

SPEAKER_00 1:29

So it all started back in 2016. We had a few family members say, we need to find work. My father-in-law was at the time in tech and could not find a job. And then we had two other family members, this is all on my husband's side, who needed a job. And what happened was the space, kind of like your space, became available. And we said, what can we do? We should do something. And so we all kind of pitched around our ideas. And I said, All I know is food. I've been in food since I was 17. I can do, I have this idea for like a coffee shop. Um, and this is what I know. And so just kind of pitched, and then we were all like, okay, this is the one thing that we would have true guidance with and true knowledge. And we just bit by bit started developing it. So everything I had seen, learned, traveled, thought of, I had poured into Mud and Char. Mud and Char was still too big for me. I really wanted a hut. So coming from the Seattle area, they just have huts that it's 200 square feet, maybe, and you just drive around. There's no seating, there's no customer service. I called them, I called them a hut. They were like those bikini huts with the coffee. I did not want that. That's where I drew the line. But people there you know, there might be a bikini hut in your future. Yeah, I know. Bikini and neon straws. That's how it all started. I said, this is what I can do, and they all kind of went with it. And then that took two years to develop between this contractor and this architect and the permits and everything. And then we finally um opened in July of 2018, and I was seven months pregnant with my third, and the doors opened.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

And it's coming up on a decade here in the next few years. So cool.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

Yeah, so that's how it all started. And I left for Matt Leave and then was like, I don't need to come back anyways because I built it for them, you know. I had gotten them to a good spot. And so uh then I had twins after that. And then um, and then now I'm I've been back since July of 2025. I was always consulting from far away, but to be hands-on and in the store is another ballgame. Actually managing, yeah, you know, so you see things in real time because you don't really know what's going on until you're in there day to day and you conquer each battle as it comes.

SPEAKER_02 3:53

Yeah, no, I can imagine that that's it's such a different type of either hands-on or from afar. We're trying to figure out that dance too. Like, oh yeah, what do we do? Do we do we expand our team?

SPEAKER_01 4:05

You know, do we still stay really hands-on? And it sounds like your advice though is to be pretty hands-on at first, especially, right? Though, like making sure things are run you kind of your way.

SPEAKER_00 4:16

I think the magic number is three years. I think through the first three years of any business, you need to be in there. Got it. You will see multiple seasons, and you should see everything that can go wrong go wrong.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

And practice how to kink those out, sort out the kinks. Um, and I've been through that three-year mark several times throughout my career. And that's usually when I would get bored because I'd already seen what can go wrong, go wrong. But now as I've gotten older, I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm getting so tired of sorting out the kinks. I feel like as I've gotten older now, it like I just feel like my job is always dealing with issues, but that is the deal with having a business. Right. Is like, and if you're not sorting through kinks, you do not have a business. That's fair.

SPEAKER_02 5:06

Or I'm wondering, like, if things are going well for a while, is your next inclination to be like, how do we grow?

SPEAKER_00 5:11

Or how do we, you know, like what do we need to do next to keep on top of the trends or the whatever, you know, like there's just always something to three years is a you should see a lot, and then I think trends will shift about that time for you guys, is how I kind of envision it. But my business is a little more seasonal, sure, you know, like this flavors in, and I can switch my menu every six weeks if I wanted, you know, or go week to week.

SPEAKER_02 5:36

But creative in me, like flash that's Tanya's like our creative yes, I love all the the themes and the you know, that's oh yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:45

It keeps it interesting, it keeps it fresh, you know. We've never really poured any money into marketing next door, it's all word of mouth, it's all but it's been a slow growth. Sure. Okay, but it was but at one like at one point we like one year before COVID, we kind of had to restart again from COVID as with any you know, business really, to be fair. But we were very profitable and we never did any marketing. And so it's right, and incredible.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

That's awesome, Sarah.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

And another thing, too, to know the difference between me, my business, and another business too, is what are you spending on? So many people think that they gotta have the revenue, but what people don't understand is how critical the back end needs to be. Because if you're wasting your time, if you're wasting uh materials or if you're wasting anything, that is money gone, disappeared.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

That's good to know too. Cause like, for example, for supplies for dash of dust, I'm always like, oh, Tanya, buy in bulk. And she's more like, no, I think we should go like party by party, like who needs what so we're not overspending. Yes. So I'm hearing you say that's probably the I very much believe in trimming the fat.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

Did you have a background in business? No, no, I double majored in biochem, but I'll tell you what, I always I always wanted to go into business. In fact, one time in college, I picked up a half pack of cigarettes off the floor and I said, When everyone's drunk, I can sell each cigarette for four bucks and I will make cash for my next drink. That's just like the sick mentality. Oh, it's not sick thoughts I have. I really do have savvy. Is it? Yeah, is it? Yeah. Can we talk sick to savvy? I do see value in everything. It's kind of hard to shut off. I would say that my aunt taught me that when I came to the city and opened my market in Delhi. She taught me how to not waste anything. And so I learned how to um, not only was I learning, for example, how to buy food at my house, I was learning how to save it. So, like my house, we only have one bag of trash a week. Because for eight people that live in my house, because I use all the scraps, I buy whole foods. I also realized like my family can't survive off of packaged snacks. It's not going to be filling, it's costly, it's wasteful. No, that's so real. And so I was like, we're gonna, so I knew I like can trim a pineapple in five seconds. I can do buy whole thing. Like, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 8:06

And then I would like your Instagram that I love.

SPEAKER_00 8:09

Oh my gosh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:10

This is a segue. So, so mud and char, yes, and like a a serial lifestyle tip giver yourself. Yes. Can you tell everybody where to find you on Instagram?

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Yes, you can find me on Instagram at Sarahfunk.lifestyle, and that's S-A-R-A-F-U-N-K. Lifestyle. I will say it's been a little bit on pause lately because I've been really focusing more so on the business right now. And when you have, I'm really learning where to put my attention to things right now, even though I'm very good at multitasking. But on my page, I really like to for someone who It's very entertaining, I will tell you.

SPEAKER_02 8:50

Informative and entertaining.

SPEAKER_00 8:51

Is it okay? Because I'm not afraid to make a fool of myself because what you see on Instagram is who I am in real life. That's okay. And there's no filter.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:01

I'm filtering a little bit right now. There's no I don't feel well, you know, I feel free to press up. Okay. So my husband always tells me, you can't just be like that all the time. Why? It's no fun on the other way around. But I will say that real though. Yes. And that's what I am. I don't and I okay. When I started Muddinchar and I how I got into blogging was I started mud and char and I had hired PR. And I said, I really want to do blogging as well. And she told me, okay, but you're gonna have to put some makeup on and like do your hair a little bit. And I said, There's no way. I've got whatever. I didn't listen. She's you know, and it was like I'm not offended. I was not offended by the way. I was just like, but that's not me. Yeah, that's not me, and I'm not gonna, I am who I am. And so what the page is really all about is buying the right things if you're gonna buy something. So like I'm not a consumerist, even though I own a business. I it's interesting, it's kind of funny. Um, yeah, it's a little kind of I always tell Joel, I can make you the sandwich at home. Why are you going here and there? That's my husband. Yeah, I know. Yeah, but then I but then yeah, so it just came into a lifestyle, sharing everything I know. So how to eat whole foods, how I use I really love to share like to my stories what I'm having for dinner because I find I'm very passionate clearly about food, but more so now dinner time and having that time with your family. That's a non-negotiable. And that's the next venture of my life is I'm in the midst of editing a book that I wrote about, and I haven't talked about keeping something on the down low. Uh, but yeah, here I just tell the whole world 17 followers.

SPEAKER_02 10:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

The 17 followers, you're gonna pre-order my book when it comes out. But I wrote a book on dinner time and like how how valuable that is, and it's factual and it's scientifically factual and it's religious-based. But anyways, the whole point of my Instagram is to just show people family connection. When you buy something, buy something with intention, buy something that's clean and clear, and uh just be yourself. And so I I were both my husband and I, serial entrepreneurs. Um and everything that I have come to know and learn in my life did not go to waste. And that's something you guys should know too, is that everything that you have learned through every single step. I know you were a teacher before, you're still kind of doing the same thing. You're gonna use every single lesson that you learned and you're going to pivot that and you're gonna apply it here. So for me, when I came back to mud and char, okay, full circle now, and I was trimming the fat, consulting is only good so far. You cannot consult from up far unless you're on the line physically going through the pain. Fair because I had to, I had to have pain to say, how can I make this better? I also found a way to sell my waste in a sense. Like all my eggs that come in broken are like the buds of the bread. I make sandwiches and I got involved with a third party called Too Good to Go. So we make breakfast sandwiches and we just sell that. So I am, and then I call my rep and I'm like, hey, credit me on the eggs that were broken.

SPEAKER_02 12:10

Those are huge lessons. Like for anybody listening that's either got their own business, thinking about starting it, like these are nuggets that are just not only good for your business, but good for our world, our environment. Like just really, really good I think lessons for. And I feel like that's something that probably a lot of small business owners are just thinking that you have to do. You're you're um, I know at least with me, I'm always thinking like, oh, well, we're just gonna have to spend this to get it back. Or it's this is expected when you start a business, is to be hemorrhaging money or whatever it is, but it doesn't have to be that. You can continually be thinking about that and and keeping it balanced.

SPEAKER_00 12:47

Yes, or maybe you guys have a lot of random little supplies and you throw a party just off of what you have. And in my business, it really I mean, it was PLs of a difference. It was a it was a it was five-figure turnaround in 30 days. Five figure from negative to positive by just paying attention to those things.

SPEAKER_02 13:07

And being on site, it reminds me, there used to be another show where like the the CEO of the company or whatever would pose as an employee. Do you remember whatever? Yeah, that's I loved that. Like it reminds us how important it is. Like sometimes we feel so distant from the on the you know, boots on the ground employees or like in education. It's really great sometimes when a principal gets to sub, you know, like they get to see what it's like. And to your point, like how do you grow and how do you, you know, improve if you don't know.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

I always train my staff, you're all shift leaders. Like, right now we don't have managers on site, we're all shift leaders, and that's how I've trained them because if they need me, they can call me and but you want them to take initiative.

SPEAKER_01 13:48

Yeah. Like step up, step it up.

SPEAKER_02 13:49

That's a huge capacity building. Yeah, and it it helps to value them. You want to show that you have the confidence in them, and then they will rise to that and they will really and also my my parents also own a a business that did really well.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

And I one of the things she always tells me is people don't like to be micromanaged. No, you can't, you have to let them do their own thing to a certain extent, otherwise they're gonna be not happy.

SPEAKER_02 14:14

And still within the bubble of what you guys hold as your tenets and values for the business. Yeah. I mean, you what what makes it really cool and why we say that mudinchar has this feeling of warmth and that thoughtfulness to each ingredient in each cup is truly because it there is. All of that background of what you share with your own personal Instagram lifestyle channel is is all seen through the business too. So it's really, really cool that you're able to do that.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

Oh, thank you. I have a question that I'm burning to we're kind of jumping around here. But what is it, Sarah, that keeps you what's what's your like driving for? So you know, some days um feel very down and it's kind of hard to motivate yourself. And I'm just curious how you do that.

SPEAKER_00 14:59

Yeah, it's gotten actually particularly challenging as I've gotten older.

SPEAKER_01 15:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:03

And so what I've I feel felt more resilient in my younger years. Um, there was you just did it. You just I didn't know how else to give less. It was, I think at my core, I'm naturally like this. My family's like this. We're all self-made entrepreneurs.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

Amazing.

SPEAKER_00 15:21

Self-made entrepreneur immigrants. Yeah. Okay. And I just really felt that naturally, and I still do. I tell my kids every day that I've got, because I've got five, and I tell them I've got enough energy for all five of you, you know, every day. I will beat you at this game no matter what, and I will kick ass every day, no matter what I do. Yeah, even when I'm tired, I will, and I think it's just from who I am culturally. We're being Lebanese, we're like, I always tell people we were the first sailors, we're Phoenicians, we were first on the sea, we were doing, we were doing deals before fighters, yeah. With fighters and it's some of the oldest, and that's really who we are. And it's like I can't even help it. It's just in the tick of the fires within. It really, yes, the cup of coffee I had not long ago fueled that. But while you're at the Bizuar, yeah. When you're there, find out. It's only one cup of coffee, you know, and it's like I so yeah, it really does come from within.

SPEAKER_02 16:23

So on the days when I feel um tired or tired, I'm trying to think when I'm tired, but even like talking to your kids in that way, it's almost like an inner coach. Like you're telling that and you're modeling all the time. And I think like sometimes, especially as moms, a little bit as I can speak to it too, is you know, you're kind of like you don't have a choice but so you kind of like it's not fight or flight or adrenaline, whatever it is, is like you know you gotta show up. That makes sense. So many people are counting on you. So how do you and maybe it's just that little bit of like you said, extra cup or a little music or yes.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

I'm tired when I pull into the coffee shop and sometimes I sit in the car for a minute. I'm just like, oh my gosh, I gotta really, I gotta go in. I gotta go in. I'm genuinely for who it's really weird, but everyone who walks in the door, I'm like, hi, how are you? Oh my god, like no, they're not. I swear, at the deli when I was in the city one day, it was 7 a.m. And this customer came to the register. He just looked like death. And that was like, Good morning, he needs it the most. Yeah, yeah. Well, I was like, Good morning, how are you? He was always very quiet, didn't matter what time of day it was. I can still see him at the red, I can still see it in my mind right now. And he had gotten a cup of little oatmeal. And I said, Good morning, how are you? And he's like, fine. And I said, Okay, that'll be, you know, 4.02 or whatever. And he goes, How are you so peppy every day, like this, like right now? And I said, It's my job. I really should have said, It's who I am. But then my aunt, after she was like in the back cooking, she's like, Not everybody wants to in their face. You know, tone it down a little bit in the morning. I said, No.

SPEAKER_02 18:00

I don't know how. I'll break, I'll go from a 10 to a 9.5. Keep shining. Sure.

SPEAKER_00 18:05

Sure, Aunt Gio. Yeah, I was like back out there.

SPEAKER_02 18:08

You don't know. I mean, that's that's your, like you said, that's your gift. That's what you're putting out in the world. And who knows how that's gonna manifest in other people? You may not see it in that gentleman there, but like who knows how that shapes his day.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

The theme of my life in this moment literally is mental resilience, and not to be like toxic positive, but it is just to say, you still we've got so do what you can as much as you can now. And sometimes when I turn the key and open the door, I'm just transported in a minute, and I just just I practice showing up every day.

SPEAKER_02 18:40

I love it's a habit that's gonna get stronger. I think about it too. Um this is gonna be silly, but in the movie Frozen 2, I tell people all the time there's like a really dark dark part, dark song where she's like in a cave, Anna's in a cave, and they play this song and it's called Do the Next Right Thing. And it is for Disney especially dark. But I tell the kids all the time when they're overwhelmed, I'm like, it's similar to you. It's like what what's the next right thing? And then after that, what's the next right thing? Yeah, yeah, so that's focus on the next five minutes. And when they exactly it could be like, what do you need to be doing right now? And it could be getting out of bed one foot, then the next foot, and then those little successes they shift from the negative to like the little wins. They add up, they add up slowly you're climbing out. It's like a really fascinating. I encourage everybody to go back and look at even the music video on YouTube or something, it's super dark, but I remember watching it and going like that is so profound, actually, especially Disney, and I use it all the time. I I'll have to go check that out. I absolutely love how we were talking about this incredible business that you have, and then we're getting like to this life space.

SPEAKER_00 19:49

But that's what I but that's how it happened because it was this coming back to Madanchar, probably I could write a whole nother book about what I learned, the lessons I learned, the hustling, the trimming of fat, the consulting. Basically, what happened was I updated my resume. I really did update my resume. I think I could go to another business and take a look around and be like, put me on the line, train me, and I'll tell you it. Like, let me be an undercover. An undercover employee. I have to tell you what is going wrong in your business.

SPEAKER_02 20:22

I like that so much. So well, that is super fun. Um okay, so this is our dish and dash. So we are gonna dish about some of these rapid fire whimsical type prompts, and then we'll dash on out of here.

SPEAKER_00 20:35

Okay, let's do it.

SPEAKER_02 20:36

Okay, so it's intended to be like a first thought from your mind. Okay. So try not to put too much thought into it. There's just a few. Uh, favorite local spot. Does not have to be restaurant, it could be any spot in our our land. What do you love in right now? Besides Men and Char.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

The first thought that came to mind was Honey Bee Farm. Love. I don't know. I've been there. Yeah, it's adorable. And I she's always expanding, and she's all about the community and raising the children and just being outside. I just love Honey Bee Farm. And if I had all the money in the world, I would be there.

SPEAKER_02 21:07

Julie, you would love it. It's cutis. They have little craft fairs and they have animals out there, and they really built up their play, like outdoor play skate.

SPEAKER_00 21:15

Yes, stop. And their garden is amazing. I was dreaming of their tomatoes. I would drive by out of my way to buy the tomatoes and leave cash. I would scrout trying to find cash in the car to leave them something. Stop. Yeah, so check it out. I just was like everything about it.

SPEAKER_02 21:31

Great ones. Yeah, I don't know why.

SPEAKER_00 21:32

I just it's gonna be fun.

SPEAKER_02 21:34

That's what this is intended for. Okay, Julie, you want to do the next one? Yeah. Song that gets you inspired. Or type of music. Yeah. If you're like me, I can never think of a song, but like type of music or song.

SPEAKER_00 21:45

Yeah, late. Okay, so I've really been trimming the fat on the music because I really need to silence. Yeah, that silence. But also quality. Like, what am I really listening to when I listen to hip hop? Like, what am I listening to? Yeah, okay, for sure. Although today we listened to T Pain on the way to preschool because they had to know that I used to listen to this in college that were pivotal years. Like, same here.

SPEAKER_01 22:05

All right. Same here.

SPEAKER_00 22:06

So after that, I put it back the Christian channel on. But um, I really love, I like to start my workouts with no L's by Frank Forrest.

SPEAKER_02 22:13

Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm really uh we had a request for Frank Forrest from like a seven, eight-year-old.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

Yeah, seven-year-old was like, Yes. I've been listening, I pivoted to Christian music, I would say, well over two years ago, like hip hop Christian. You listen to the lyrics, it'll change your life. And then paired with a good beat, you're like, I don't need anything else. So to me, I start my workout with no L's and yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:36

Love. All right. One word that describes your business.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

I would say um, it's it's classic. I just want you to have a good cup of local coffee that we know where the bean came from. And I want you to have a good breakfast and watch to start your day off right.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

One of the ideas behind dash in particular is we think of it as the in-between space from where you started, where you're going, that journey, right? The in-between, that little dash. Um, so our question to you is uh what is your current dash all about?

SPEAKER_00 23:10

I'm hopeful right now. I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful and I'm faithful. And I would say that like my faith has really come alive in the last couple of years. I'm not sure my future will always be with mud and chart. Yeah, you know what I mean? Like it may not always be there. And so separate, like knowing that I can infuse myself, but I'm not tied to it. Yeah, leaving my essence and things. And so that is Ooh, essence might have to be a new word. I like that. Yeah, that's good, Sarah.

SPEAKER_02 23:39

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 23:41

This was very therapeutic. Okay. For us too.

SPEAKER_02 23:44

I was gonna say, this is like, whoa, it's very life and life-giving. It's very life-giving. Well, we appreciate you sharing your story and your sparkle with us. Um, run to mud and char, you guys, for that yummy coffee and fair. For all of you guys listening out there, let's continue to lift each other up, normalize, being real and resilient, like sharing your essence. Yes, exactly. You are. Keep your dashes glowing. Um, if you enjoyed this episode, please follow or subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. If you're local to the Chicagoland area, we are open now. So come see us in Downer's Grove at our studio. And you can find us on Instagram at Dash of Dust Studio or online. Our website is dashofdust.com. Until next time, please remember your Dash is still being written, and it's the stories that we share that connect us. So this has been another page in the Dash Diaries. Yay, thanks, Sarah. Thank you guys. What a pleasure.