The Black Coffee Company, or Black Coffee ATL was founded in 2018 by Chris Bolden, Jamin Butler, Branden Cole, Gino Jones, Leonard Lightfoot. The coffee company is a premier coffee shop serving specialty coffee, loose leaf tea, and fresh baked pastries.
The coffee shop also hosts various events such as game nights, workshops, classes, coffee tastings, and more.
For more information, visit https://www.theblackcoffeecompany.com/black-coffee-atl
The Atlanta Voice: Why was the company created?
The Black Coffee Company: The Black Coffee Company was created to help set an example for our community. We pride ourselves on our three pillars: entrepreneurship, financial freedom, and community empowerment! There is a common misconception that our community has an inability to successfully work together, and we are here to shift that narrative. We are proud of our coffee connections to the African continent and other global regions, as well as the opportunity to help build our own economy. The Black Coffee Company has allowed us to leverage our collective capital, cultural experiences, and networks, to create a self-sustaining enterprise that sells organic fair trade coffee beans, branded merchandise, and apparel, and ultimately, lifestyle.
AV: Was there a moment that inspired the start of business?
The Black Coffee Company: It all started on a 2015 trip to the Motown Museum in Detroit, MI where we learned how Berry Gordy’s parents worked together to create a self-sustaining family investment fund. This fund not only provided business startup capital for all family members, it provided the funding necessary for Berry Gordy to launch his Motown record label. For us, this was a divine moment of inspiration. We began to pull our resources together and learned all we could about investing so that we could become a vehicle for empowerment within our own community.
AV: Is there a mentor in your life that inspired/inspires you as a business owner?
The Black Coffee Company: The late great Nipsey Hussle was a driving force in motivating us to create the Black Coffee Company. His passion for bettering his community and his people inspired us to work together to create a space where we could thrive while being our incredible selves. Because of our late brother Nip we understand that we are running a marathon, and through the ups and downs, the marathon continues.
AV: What are your business goals for the remainder of the year?
The Black Coffee Company: This year we are focused on expanding our business operations both here in Atlanta and in a city near you! Black Coffee Atlanta, our flagship coffee shop located at 1800 Jonesboro Rd, SE, Atlanta, GA 30315, is growing and thriving, and we want to expand our reach by providing more mobile and delivery options. We are also working on empowering our Black Coffee Houston family to mobilize in the Houston area with a coffee truck, so that we can extend our reach in the Houston area. As the year closes, we are actively planning our second annual Black Coffee Fest 2023 to continue to support local entrepreneurs and to provide financial education resources for our community.
AV: Any advice to future business owners about taking the plunge?
The Black Coffee Company: For aspiring entrepreneurs, our advice would be to trust the process, move at your own pace, and never skip steps. When you skip steps, you will miss the valuable lessons that you will learn along the way.