Jason McArthur graduated from FSU in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology. After working in the field for about a year, he decided he needed a change. Unsure about his future, he began working at a local Tallahassee coffee shop and eventually returned to FSU to pursue a second Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology. While working towards his second degree he continued working at the coffee shop; he explained, “As I slowly became disillusioned with the idea of even more schooling ahead of me, I continued to gain valuable experience managing one of the busiest shops in Tallahassee. After about 1.5 years, I decided I was ready for a new challenge.” He then got in contact with the Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic and opened the first location of Argonaut Coffee at the clinic. 

McArthur shared that the business has been quite the roller coaster, particularly dealing with the pandemic and the growing pains involved in expanding a small business. While planning the opening of their new flagship store in Cascades Park, which is slated to open later this year, Jason came across another exciting opportunity: a location at Goodwood Museum & Gardens. Argonaut Coffee at Goodwood, a former plantation which now serves as an event space and memorial to those previously enslaved on the property, officially opened on July 7. 

On how his time at FSU shaped his journey as a business owner, he shared, “The most important lesson I learned while I was a student at FSU was to never be afraid to ask for help. I’ve often seen a strong stigma in school or business that asking for help is a sign of weakness; I couldn’t disagree with that more strongly. Almost everything Argonaut has accomplished has been with the help of others, and getting through 2 degrees at FSU would not have been possible for me without learning that lesson early on in my academic career.”