In the middle of all that, she decided it was time to take on the public realm. She partnered with her son Skyler Warnke to build-out and open her first public location Taylor Ray’s Café at The Views. With Skyler’s eye for detail, he created a warm, inviting place where people could enjoy a view of the lake and have a great coffee and food experience. Skyler has since moved on to larger growth opportunities and is having success in his own right. Her second son Jordan, helped launch the new store with digital menu creation, marketing material and even worked the store himself in the early months while attending college full-time. It was a family project with even her husband getting involved with supply deliveries, equipment setup and whatever was needed to support the family effort. Shannon attributes her success to her family and their unending support.

In February of 2023 she purchased her latest public location and sister company, Juniper Coffee Co, in Lacey, Washington. Juniper coffee is a gem in the rough with a wonderful clientele within a growing community. It is warm, comfortable and inviting with a staff of very creative baristas providing amazing customer service.

Shannon is and has been very involved in the BEP vendor committee community. She has served as Vice Chairman and is currently serving a term on two separate committees. The group focuses on solving issues with current vendor businesses as well as development of policies to help support future business. The program has changed her life and she is committed to helping all visually impaired people reach their potential.