Buying from Black-owned Coffee Shops: a Cozy Way to Show You Care
By Perry Luckett, CoffeeMan1
One of the great trends in entrepreneurship and small business today is the growth of coffee- and tea-shop ownership by people of color (POC)—and in particular by young black people in cozy urban settings. Shopping at these businesses rose to prominence back in 2018 when Starbucks closed all their stores for a half day to complete training on race issues.
That response resulted from an incident at a Philadelphia Starbucks, where two black men who were waiting to meet a friend refused to “buy something or leave,” as demanded by the store manager. Police officers called to the scene arrested the two men for trespassing and placed one of them in handcuffs. The men were released when Starbucks said they didn’t want to pursue the matter.
Starbucks’ coffee shop closings were a cozy chance to visit Black-owned businesses
Starbucks then scheduled a half day on May 29, 2018, for all staff and closed their entire chain of stores for “racial sensitivity training.” Several black leaders recognized these closings as a chance to emphasize Black ownership of coffee and tea houses around the country. So they used social media to collect, list, and publicize these Black-owned coffee shops and strongly urged coffee drinkers to patronize their shops.
One such person and list was Tony Lawson’s “Black Owned Coffee and Tea Businesses That are Great Alternatives to Starbucks,” which he published at www.shoppeblack.us on April 14, 2018 [TOL]. Lawson also pointed out in June 2020 that Starbucks issued a memo to employees this year warning staffers against wearing accessories or clothes with messages in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The memo reminds staffers that such messages are prohibited under the company's policy against accessories that "advocated a political, religious or personal issue." This policy led Lawson to suggest the public support Black lives directly by visiting their businesses.
Mr. Lawson says only a few words about each shop on his list, so I’ve selected four of them and added details from their websites or other sources. I’ll return to this subject at least two more times to capture information on 8-10 more shops in prominent locations.
Grind House Coffee for your cup: covers Dayton Ohio and U.S.
A Grind House kiosk is located in the Meijers Grocery on Executive Blvd in Dayton. They offer differing blends and flavors from as far away as southeast Asia to the coffee mugs of Daytonians. They also cover customers across the U.S. through online sales. [TOL] To quote Bill Miller Jr., President and CEO: “From coffee farms in Kenya to Southeast Asia and South America; Grind House Coffee & Tea Company will always deliver a quality coffee right to your front door!”
Miller goes on to say: “As far back as I can remember, everyone in my family has had a passion for coffee. From my great grandfather to my daughter, the passion for coffee has spanned over a 100 years. During the last 15 years I have gathered the best blends and flavors we have enjoyed! It was my mother, who told me, to share our family's passion with the rest of the world, and my father who inspired me to follow my DREAMS.” [BM]
Miller also says he has seen revenues increase during the pandemic, especially through delivery and online sales. As a result he sees this fall as an opportunity to open another store in West Dayton, where he grew up in what he calls a “coffee drought” area. He doesn’t think residents there should have to drive 10-15 miles to get a cup of good coffee, so he’ll open a coffee shop in the Wright Dunbar neighborhood that will offer coffee, pastries, tea, bagged coffee and ice cream. After coronavirus social-distancing restrictions are lifted, the 2000 square foot space will seat 30 inside and about 15 outside, meaning they can fit in about half those capacities under the current restrictions. The new shop will create 12 to 15 new part-time and full-time jobs, Miller said.
The next Grind House Coffee shop may be in downtown Dayton. Miller said he is negotiating and is “close to closing on” space for a downtown coffee shop. “Over the next 3 years our future plans include opening more Miami Valley locations and pursuing the Columbus and Cincinnati markets,” Miller said. [WTK]
South LA Café in Los Angeles: coffee, tea, and good food covered
This coffee shop on Browning Blvd just north of Martin Luther King Blvd has been open to the south Los Angeles area from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. since November 2019 as a cozy gathering place under the banner “coffee, community, connection.” No seating or cosy coffee shop experience is available during the coronavirus pandemic, but they’re still serving drinks for takeout. Although management laid off most staff to give them unemployment benefits, they’re trying to help the community with meals for seniors and contributions from community members.
As owners Celia and Joe Ward-Wallace say on their website: “We both grew up in the nearby area and moved just 10 blocks from the South LA Cafe almost 20 years ago, right before we were married. We started the South LA Cafe because, after decades of living in a food desert, we wanted fresh, affordable and healthy food options for ourselves and our neighbors. Instead of waiting for it to arrive, we decided to take a leap of faith and provide it ourselves. We believed if we built it, they would come, and we are so grateful that you did!”
Reviewers of South LA Café compliment the coffee, food, and owners’ civic spirit. Nancy S. on Yelp, for example, says their visit produced excellent avocado toast and goodies, as well as several tasty smoothies and a delicious vanilla latte. Also to put everyone at ease, social distancing was in place and masks are required while in the cafe. They also have outside seating, and those tables have "clean/used" flip signs the staff uses to show customers what has been sanitized.
But Nancy was especially impressed with what was going on in at the far end of the café. Her group walked in during one of South LA Café’s grocery bags giveaway events. Mr. Ward-Wallace and several employees or volunteers were preparing 300 or so bags to pass out at a community event being held that same morning. And even though Mr. Ward-Wallace was extremely busy he took the time to engage them in a nice conversation.
Northwest Coffee Roasting Company has three cozy cafes
Northwest is an artisan coffee roaster with three locations in the St. Louis area. They embody the legacy of coffee by unifying communities, stimulating dialog, and providing hand roasted and brewed full city coffee. They also offer egg dishes, soups, and sandwiches. They use an old Probat roaster and slow-roasting technique to bring out subtle flavors and a bit of sweetness from the bean—all of which adds up to a cozy, special brew to suit your taste.
Their website puts it this way: “Northwest Coffee has three locations across the St. Louis metropolitan area. Visit our bustling cafe in Clayton, our roasting facility and cafe with great outdoor seating in the Central West End, and Chronicle Coffee, our sister store in North Grand. We sell drinks, pastries, and wholesale coffee at all our stores, and offer a full breakfast and lunch menu at the Clayton and Chronicle (North Grand) location.”
Even during Covid-19 they’re serving Monday-Sunday 7am - 6pm, so you St. Louis folks can stop by throughout the day. Don’t forget your laptop. Both locations offer wi-fi and are replete with outlets. Plug in. Drink up. Enjoy covered outside seating if you want to feel particularly secure during pandemic times, resting assured in management’s careful attention to social distancing and mask requirements. Or just order online from their extensive selection of coffees laid out by type on an attractive Shop page: http://www.northwestcoffee.com/our-shop .
Sip & Savor: coffee and community cozy up in Chicago
Established in 2005 by Founder & CEO Trez V. Pugh III, Sip & Savor now has five locations in South Chicago. They offer the finest certified fair trade coffee from around the world, as well as a wide selection of teas, mochas, lattes, and blended drinks. They also serve delicious pastries and small bites from local bakeries.
Sip & Savor coffees are certified fair trade, and in some cases, certified organic and shade grown. This means the products you buy maintain biodiversity, provide shelter for migratory birds, and help reduce global warming. It also means great flavor in your coffee cup and cozy relationships with growers who care about their product.
Trez is driven to make a difference with his coffee shops. Bringing the community together is paramount for his brand and business ventures. His coffee shops show young people they can reap benefits from making change, rather than solely making money. With this focus, Sip & Savor coffee shops will cover the South side while putting good behind intentions. Familiar faces are common at Sip & Savor. Media personalities, entrepreneurs, and elected officials often sip coffee along with retirees, college students, and other hard working Chicagoans. They’re in for a break and a good cup of coffee, plus cozy, community-focused conversations.
Sip&Savor Bronzeville
Sip & Savor has positioned itself as a key player in the “spread positivity” movement. They not only serve coffee and teas, but also support other local business by carrying pastries and small bites from local bakers and bakeries. Trez is striving to become a major game changer with his coffee shops. With rapid growth to cover the South Chicago area and a solid commitment to community, Sip and Savor has become the neighborhood’s coffee shop of choice.
These coffee shops from four states illustrate the diverse visions of Black owners and their commitment to quality in your coffee cup. So if you’re in their area cozy up to a takeout or enjoy socially distanced conversation with a community member. We’ll cover more shops in future blog posts to show that Black enterprise is on the rise in our favorite world of coffee.
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Resources:
Mark Fisher, “What to Know,” at Dayton.com, https://bit.ly/2GkqOKC (June 2, 2020). [WTK]
Tony O. Lawson, “Black Owned Coffee and Tea Businesses That are Great Alternatives to Starbucks,” Shoppe Black online, https://bit.ly/3l7rhyl (April 14, 2018). [TOL]
Bill Miller, Jr., “My Family’s Passion,” https://bit.ly/30rYHQD (2020). [BM]
Nancy S., “Review,” Yelp.com, www.yelp.com/biz/south-la-cafe-los-angeles Palmdale, CA (August 15, 2020) [NS]
Websites at:
https://www.sipandsavorchicago.com/
http://www.northwestcoffee.com/
https://www.southlacafe.com/
https://www.grindhousecoffeeandteacompany.com/