Ashley Harrell’s first memories involve coffee.
“My grandfather worked for the city as a sanitation worker and took care of us while my mother worked third shift,” she says. “My grandfather was so involved in my life, from taking us to the bus stop in the morning to picking us up after school. In the evenings, he would make coffee and we would sit and have long conversations.”
Harrell pauses. “You can argue whether I should have been drinking coffee at that point in my life. But it doesn’t matter. All the facts of life he taught me and the lessons he shared are still invaluable to me and have helped shape who I am as an adult.”
Harrell credits her grandfather, who passed away in 2019, with not only inspiring her love of coffee, but also instilling in her a desire to create community and connection in her own life.
In fact, his memory is one of the main reasons behind the creation of the Boujee Cup of Joe cafes, which debuted in fall 2020. Harrell hopes they’ll gain the support and interest she needs to open the cafe she’s dreamed of for years.
Harrell says that while the idea of opening a coffee shop had been on her mind for a while, she didn’t decide to start a up-to-date business until the COVID-19 pandemic gave her more time.
“I kept thinking about one of my favorite Nina Simone quotes,” she says. “‘Freedom is not fear.’ And that really inspired me.”
From that moment on, as she says, she threw herself into the whirlwind of education.
“I had time to really think about it and experiment with different drinks,” she says, noting that she spent days watching coffee tutorials on YouTube, collecting ideas from Pinterest and experimenting with different techniques.
“There’s so much coffee in the world,” she says. “But I wanted to serve a brand that I knew something about and really felt a connection to.”
Harrell’s lineup of straightforward drinks (priced at $4–$5) currently includes the American Gangsta (Americano), Al Puccino (cappuccino), Brewed Up icy brew and Nina Simone (bitter coffee with nutmeg and cinnamon), as well as the ATL Southern Bell (peach and ginger tea).
In addition to the drinks, Harrell also creates what she calls “Self-Care Goddess Baskets” — kits that include a variety of items, from books to incense, candles, journals and affirmation cards.
“How often do we really take care of ourselves? The pandemic has taught us that we are moving too rapid and that we need to stop, sluggish down and take time for ourselves. So these kits are designed to assist people do that. It’s about taking care of ourselves so that we can do better and be better.”
Harrell, who currently serves as director of Burke Early Education Center in Youth and Family Centers COA during the day, she says that both community and coffee have been most essential to her for as long as she can remember.
Ultimately, she says, she would like to combine these two worlds and open her own café.
“I absolutely need coffee to get me going in the morning,” she says. “And for years I’ve lamented the fact that there aren’t any coffee shops in the 53206 zip code.
“Coffee brings joy. Tea brings joy. And both bring people together,” she says. “We all have something to share, but we don’t always connect the way we should. So my dream is to create a space where people can do that… a coffee shop that brings people together from all walks of life, where everyone is welcome.”
Harrell says her vision isn’t all that different from the vision of spaces like Waiters and poetsa community gathering place, bookstore and café in Washington, D.C. that has become a center for art, activism and the exchange of ideas.
Harrell says she’s been busy working on a business plan for the store and connecting with people she hopes will assist her find the right location.
“I would like to be able to open my own space by the end of 2021 or 2022,” she says. “If I can do that, that would be a dream come true.”
In the meantime, customers can follow Harrell’s progress on the Boujee Cup of Joe Facebook page and support her at two upcoming events
February 20: Society and Compact Business Fair
Will be serving coffee at Salute Society Studio, 2372 N. MLK Drive from 1 to 5 p.m.
The program will include a Bullet Journaling 101 seminar with Lina Nguyen at noon, poetry readings, open mic discussions, and a book talk at 6 p.m. with Diana Mora, author of “Bitter and Unbitter.” Mora’s book will be the first featured in the up-to-date Boujee Book Club, which launches in March.
Those interested in attending the event with a cup of coffee in hand can purchase a Boujee Cup of Joe coffee kit containing Blue Mountain Coffee, as well as Bullet Journal Set ($15 includes journal, felt-tip pen, ruler, and washi tape) in preparation for your event. Kits can be ordered through Boujee Cup of Joe Facebook Page and will be ready for pickup or delivery on February 23.
