Meet Alex Segrest | Owner of The Coyote Cone and Desert Dog Coffee Co.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Segrest and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
After retiring from a 25 year career in Healthcare,  I really started thinking about what was important to me and my introspection gravitated straight to my core values… home, community and happiness. Then the fun part started, deciding what type of business was needed in Morongo Valley that would bring joy to the community. There was a much bigger need than just ice cream or coffee, we needed a place to come together as a community. It brings me great joy seeing neighbors and friends meet up at The Coyote Cone. It is also the place to be at the end of the school day. Kids running through the doors, shouting, “Hey Alex!!!” Then we chat about the school day as we scoop up delights.  I have also met some wonderful people as they travel through Morongo Valley, en route to Joshua Tree National Park. I have received thank you cards from several, after they returned home, emphasizing the impact The Cone had on their journeys and that really means a lot to me. I am truly living the dream!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

The Coyote Cone is about celebrating people.  I work 7 days per week.  I want to be there to take care of my customers/ friends.  I have a long list of regulars who come in every day.  I call them my VIPs.   I know what they are going to order and they know if they walk in and there is a long line and I make eye contact, they won’t have to wait long.  Their order just appears on the counter and they can slip out the door in no time.  The Coyote Cone is about building memories. It is about an experience.  I want every kid in town to know that The Cone is their place and when they come to visit, they will go away with more than just ice cream.

When I was planning the shop, one detail that was an absolute, was the Pay-it-Forward board. Many years ago, I was sitting with a friend in an ice cream shop, when a woman walked in with four children. She looked at the prices and then down at the clear bag filled with change  and with tears in her eyes she quietly told her children, “Let’s go kids, maybe another time”. I stopped her and asked if I could buy them all ice cream. She gratefully accepted. I told my friend, “If I ever own an ice cream shop – I would make sure any kid who came in would get an ice cream.”  The Coyote Cone has a $1 cone on the menu and the Pay-It-Forward board where customers can pin one-dollar bills. Thanks to this very generous community along with travelers, who fall in love with the idea, the board is never empty. The first donation was for fifty dollars with instructions to call for more if the board ever went empty. I have never had to make that call.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We live in such a beautiful area of the desert. With Palm Springs in our front yard and Joshua Tree National Park in our backyard, there are endless things to do.  The day should always start at The Desert Dog Coffee Co.  They have two signature coffees that are wildly popular.  The Snake bite and The Desert Dog.  Most fans have their favorite but for me… I go back and forth between the two.  Of course they have a full espresso bar so finding something you love is easy.  Then it is off to hike.  Joshua Tree National Park is an obvious choice for hiking, but right here in Morongo Valley, in the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, we have beautiful trails.  This 31,000 acre preserve with its desert oasis filled with green trees and internationally recognized birding is a privilege not to be ignored.  After hiking, visiting the local vintage stores is always fun.   You cannot shop without going to The Cactus Mart, where you can dig your own cactus and shop for plants and local art. Dinner at Spaghetti Western is now the place to see and be seen and to have a delicious meal. The food is amazing and the vibe is so High Desert chic.  Now it is time for a banana split at The Coyote Cone!! 

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am dedicating this Shoutout to the community of Morongo Valley and the High Desert, who have been so supportive of my little shop. We love the travelers, but it is the residents of my community who show up time and time again. It is the early morning commuters who stop in for a coffee and a breakfast sandwich…. It is the after-school kids who rush down to the shop to celebrate the end of a school day… It is the after-dinner crowd who want dessert to finish off their night…. These are the people who have made The Coyote Cone successful.

Website: www.coyotecone.com

Instagram: coyote_cone

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecoyotecone

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-coyote-cone-morongo-valley?osq=coyote+cone