“We opened Great Day Latte a week ago. It still blows me away to walk into the real thing that started with a design I drew up on paper. A little Black girl from Trinity Gardens and Prichard created something like this. There wasn’t a black-owned coffee shop in Mobile where you can see us in this setting. I created what we were missing: a place where we can network and talk about family, business, and mental health. We even have a stage for live music, poetry, and panels. I want this to be an attraction for Mobile and show others what’s possible.

When I greet people, I say, ‘Great day.’ That’s why I named this shop, Great Day Latte. We make ordering fun and get a chance to get to know our customers. Instead of asking for just a name, we ask a different question every week. This week is about your dream vacation. Last week was about your childhood nickname. My daddy called me “Sugar Mama.’ I don’t know why. His best friends called me ‘8 to 8’ because I always used to say ‘open 8 to 8, so don’t be late’ from a local commercial. 

Seeing others create their own businesses led me to know there are possibilities to create my own. I received my bachelor’s degree in marketing and my master’s in human resource management. I worked with Spire, the old Mobile Gas, for fifteen years. When I learned Mobile Gas was being sold to a new company, I started Lush Consulting Firm to do PR and bring events and conferences to Mobile. Then COVID happened, and the events stopped. What now? I had to pivot. I started investing in real estate and became a landlord.  I opened Chateau de Mardi, a Mardi Gras-themed AirBnB in the O’Gwynn Building in Downtown Mobile. But I wanted to do more for people. I saw this building down the street from my AirBnB with a lease sign in Oct. 2023. 

The next month, I reached out to the owner, signed the lease, and we started working on the building layout with an architect. But Great Day Latte almost didn’t happen. During that time, my father passed January 2024; my heart was no longer in this. I had to ask myself what he would want me to do. He would want me to finish what I started. I snapped out of it and rolled up my sleeves. 

My mom passed in July 2019, so it’s been a tough few years. I learned so much from my parents, even though neither had a high school diploma. My dad reached a third-grade education level. He couldn’t read but he could count. You couldn’t cheat him out of anything. My dad retired from the Alabama state dock. 

My mom reached the eighth grade but dropped out of school when she became pregnant. She didn’t go back to school, but she got a GED.  She was smart, correcting us if we pronounced or spelled a word incorrectly. She was a crossing guard for The City of Prichard at Ella Grant Elementary School. The kids and parents loved her. She was a breath of fresh air, and we did everything together. 

I learned these lessons from my parents: work for what you want, nothing is free, and as long as you have a second chance at anything, do it.  As long as I have breath, I have options. My daughter is a senior in high school, and I pass these lessons to her.  She’s going to Florida A&M University to become an architect. I created another baby, this shop, to get me through when my baby is gone–I also created something that will become hers one day. 

My parents did a damn good job raising me, so I keep sharing their light and helping others find their own. That’s what I hope happens at Great Day Latte. After my parents died, people expected me to leave Mobile. No, I don’t feel like my work here is done. I love my city.”

Kim