by Leslie Rose (CreActiv)
A Cup of Coffee is a new series inviting you to get to know our team, partners, and friends.
In November 2020, amid a pandemic, with a teenager and baby in tow, Ayron joined her
husband, Jamin, in a cross-country trip in pursuit of what would become Black Coffee
Atlanta.
A seasoned event planner, Ayron already understood how to make a vision come to life,
but she admittedly had never conceptualized the opening of an entire business location,
especially in a new city thousands of miles away from her native Los Angeles.
By June 2021, joined by business partners and friends, Black Coffee Atlanta began
welcoming customers to its brick-and-mortar location. And Ayron played a significant
role in what the shop looks and feels like today.
Grab a cup of coffee and read about Ayron’s original and continued vision for Black
Coffee Atlanta.
Making a Change
I knew that our family needed a change. And if Black Coffee was that catalyst for the
change, I was willing to dive into it.
Just Like Home
I wanted [Black Coffee Atlanta] to feel like home. My mother was diagnosed with
dementia just a couple of months before we travelled here. She was an amazing cook.
She always dreamed of having a breakfast kitchen and wanted a homey feel. So I
wanted to bring that here. I wanted to have that piece of her. Being in Atlanta gave us
the recipe and the tools to make it feel like home because it's Black and rich, and
wherever you go, it's home.
We Feel Your Energy
We wanted people to feel like when they walked in here, it was like a Black “Cheers,”
where everybody knows your name. We remember your drink. If you come here two or
three times, we'll see who you are. We're going to know what you need. We'll see if you
need that extra little bit of love. We'll know if you need a comp drink this day because
we can feel when your energy is off. So that's what we created.
A Touch of Cali and Culture
With our food, we brought in some touches from California. We brought in avocado
toast and threw in arugula – some freshness. We are in a food desert, so we don't have
many good food options, so we wanted to get something fresh and some alternatives to what this community had and rightly deserves. And the menu, we wanted it to be
representative of our culture. And so that's representative in the names. We add a little
extra sweetness cause Black folks love sugar.
Purpose
In Los Angeles, it felt like we were striving to find purpose. Here it builds. Everything we
do is with intention and purpose. Sitting in here every day, it's like purpose realized.
Ayron lead the buildout and design of the space. She also
curates the menu and to manaages events, staff schedules, and training.
"CreActiv PR & Storytelling is a boutique communications firm founded by journalist and comms strategist Leslie D. Rose. The firm specializes in writing, consulting, storytelling, and creative activism initiatives/education tools. Leslie shares consultancy responsibilities with multi-genre writer, strategist, and organizer Donney Rose."
CreActiv https://www.creactivllc.com/about-us
Leslie D. Rose https://www.lesliedrose.com
Donney Rose https://donneyrose.info