Transforming a Café with AWS: A Journey to Cloud Mastery

Welcome to my AWS cloud journey, where I dive into real-world applications of AWS services to fulfil business needs. In this my first blog post, we'll explore the captivating story of Lucky and Philomina (a fictional business case), who turned their passion for cooking and baking into a thriving café and bakery business.

I will be taking on the challenge of architecting and implementing cloud solutions that help fulfil the business needs of the fictional case study below. Enjoy the short story behind the architecture that I will be building.

The Café Dream Begins

Lucky and Philomina, fresh out of university, embarked on a unique journey to build a café and bakery business. They were friends back in school, and immediately after graduation, Philomina suggested they turn their love for baking into a small business venture to generate income while applying to companies and waiting for an opportunity to further their individual careers. They, however, didn’t plan for what came after. Their café quickly gained popularity in the local area because they had an advantage: they were already well-known as they liked to support community events across town with their baked goods. They also soon realized that they loved interacting with people and, as a result, came to consider their business as their full-time Job.

Godbless Introduces AWS

As the café's reputation grew, a friend named Godbless introduced Lucky and Philomina to the world of Amazon Web Services (AWS). Godbless talked to them about the increased engagement, visibility, and reach that could come as a result of having an online presence for their business. He suggested ways to automate tasks, enhance the customer experience, and establish an online presence. The potential benefits of cloud computing and AWS services intrigued them, and at the same time, they remembered that Alexander—a regular customer at the café— had mentioned previously that he was an AWS Solutions Architect.

Meet the AWS Expert

The next time Alexander visited the café, they told him about their plans to gain online visibility and their desire to use AWS for hosting and building a robust and efficient solution. Alexander, after confirming that he was indeed an expert in AWS and cloud technologies, agreed to help Godbless build a robust, secure, reliable, and efficient cloud solution by acting as a technical mentor to review the cloud architectural designs and implementations that Godbless builds from time to time. This collaboration marked the beginning of a transformational journey for the café.

Godbless then suggested that they should expand community awareness of what the cafe has to offer. Lucky and Philomina agreed.

Expanding the Online Presence

With Alexander's guidance, Godbless (having previously worked as a full-stack developer) embarked on building a website to showcase the café visually. The website would provide essential information such as location, business hours, official lines, and more. After two months of hard work, the café was ready to launch an online presence.

The First Challenge: Cost-Effective Hosting

Now, the café faces the challenge of finding a cost-effective hosting solution for its new website. This is where I assume the role of Godbless, ready to build a secure, reliable, and efficient AWS solution to address their evolving business needs. As more details about the business requirements arise, I will be using Amazon Web Services to meet those business requirements over the next two months.

Join me on this exciting journey as I explore AWS cloud services and their practical applications in real-world scenarios.

During this period, I'll take you through my journey of architecting a robust, secure, reliable, and cost-effective cloud solution using AWS. Stay with me as we explore the real-world applicability of AWS in a relatable business context. Together, let’s witness the café's transformation, from a local favorite to an online sensation, through the power of AWS.

PS: This business case was adapted from an AWS Course. I intend to use this business case study to gain mastery of the real-world applicability of technical concepts in AWS.