When Ashley Stephens brought her newfound inspiration of owning a coffee shop back to her growing hometown, she wasn’t fully sure of what to expect. As a 2016 graduate of Dadeville High School, Stephens went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in art from Jacksonville State University before obtaining a master’s degree in communication from Syracuse University.
Much like every other college student grinding through collegiate courses, Stephens developed her appreciation for a good cup of joe during that time.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x 92G6 C62==J H2?E65 E@ @H? 2 4@7766 D9@A D:?46 4@==686[” D2:5 $E6A96?D] “pC@F?5 a_`g H2D AC@323=J H96? E96 :562 7:CDE 42>6 2C@F?5[ 3642FD6 E92E’D H96? x C62==J DE2CE65 E@ 5:G6 :?E@ E96 4@7766 H@C=5] %96? :E H2D E9:D A2DE 72== H96? x 7:?2==J H2D =:<6[ =6E’D ;FDE 5@ :E]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm&A@? C6EFC?:?8 E@ 96C 9@>6E@H?[ E96 af\J62C\@=5 s256G:==6 ?2E:G6 H2D >@E:G2E65 >@C6 E92? 6G6C E@ F?:7J 96C C@@ED] p7E6C EH@ >@?E9D @7 C6?@G2E:@?D[ %H@ v9@DED r@7766 @A6?65 :ED 5@@CD :? E96 s256G:==6 $BF2C6 :? s646>36C a_ac] sC2H:?8 :?DA:C2E:@? 7C@> @?6 @7 96C 72G@C:E6 2CE:DED :? E96 >FD:4 :?5FDECJ E@52J[ $E6A96?D 49@D6 2 4C62E:G6 ?2>6 7@C 96C D9@A E92E H@F=5 F=E:>2E6=J D92A6 :ED :56?E:EJ]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x <?@H >@DE A6@A=6’D 7:CDE BF6DE:@? :D[ ‘(96C6 5:5 E96 ?2>6 4@>6 7C@>n’” D2:5 $E6A96?D] “xE’D 7C@> 2 w2CCJ $EJ=6D D@?8 42==65 k6>m%H@ v9@DEDk^6>m] %96 D@?8 :D 23@FE 9@H H6 492?86 2?5 6G@=G6 2D A6@A=6[ 2?5 x 92G6 925 2 =@E @7 492?86 :? >J =:76] x7 J@F <?@H >6 A6CD@?2==J[ J@F <?@H 6G6CJE9:?8 E92E x’G6 8@?6 E9C@F89 2?5 366? E9C@F89 :? >J =:76[ D@ :E ;FDE <:?5 @7 7:E H:E9 E96 ?2>6[ E96 G:36 2?5 ;FDE <:?5 @7 9@H x H2?E65 E@ 6IAC6DD >JD6=7]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 @AE:@?D @? E96 @?6\A286[ 7C@?E\2?5\324< >6?F 2C6 ;FDE 2D F?:BF6 2D E96 2E>@DA96C6] uC@> 42AAF44:?@D E@ 7C2AA6D 2?5 =2EE6D 82=@C6[ %H@ v9@DED A=246D 2? 6>A92D:D @? 4C27E:?8 @?6\@7\2\<:?5 4@7766 36G6C286D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“(6’C6 =:<6 2 >:I@=@8J E62>[” D2:5 $E6A96?D] “xE’D =:<6 CF??:?8 D4:6?46 6IA6C:>6?ED :? E96 324<j H6’C6 >2<:?8 DEF77 FA[ 2?5 :E’D 7F?]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm~?6 @7 E96 >@DE A@AF=2C :E6>D 2E %H@ v9@DED :D k6>m%96 vC246k^6>m] %9:D DH66E 2?5 D2G@CJ =2EE6 762EFC6D 2 H2C> 3=6?5 @7 H9:E6 49@4@=2E6 2?5 3C@H? DF82C[ 7:?:D965 H:E9 E@2DE65 >2CD9>2==@HD] $6CG65 9@E @C :465[ :E’D 2 D>@@E9 2?5 4@>7@CE:?8 EC62E H:E9 ;FDE E96 C:89E E@F49 @7 DH66E?6DD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“k6>m%96 vC246k^6>m :D AC@323=J @FC >@DE A@AF=2C 5C:?<[” $E6A96?D D2:5] “xE H2D 42==65 E96 k6>m(9:E6 r9C:DE>2Dk^6>m 5FC:?8 E96 9@=:52JD[ 2?5 E96? x C6?2>65 :E E@ k6>m%96 vC246k^6>m 27E6C 2 =@42= 8:C= ?2>65 vC246 3642FD6 D96 =:E6C2==J @C56C65 :E 6G6CJ D:?8=6 52J]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmx? 255:E:@?[ %H@ v9@DE’D >6?F 4@?E2:?D >2?J @E96C 4@7766\C6=2E65 @AE:@?D 7@C 2== E@ 6?;@J] r2AAF44:?@D[ 7C2AAéD 2?5 =2EE6D 82=@C6 2C6 2G2:=23=6 E@ D2E:D7J 4@7766 4C2G:?8D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 A=6?EJ @7 ?@?\4@7766\C6=2E65 @AE:@?D 2D H6==] $E6A96?D 92D AC@G:565 2? 6IE6?D:G6 =:DE @7 @E96C 36G6C286 @AE:@?D DF49 2D #65 qF== :?7FD:@?D[ 9@E 49@4@=2E6D[ =6>@?256D 2?5 @7 4@FCD6[ D@FE96C?\DEJ=6 DH66E E62]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“%96 #65 qF== :?7FD:@?D 2C6 A@AF=2C H:E9 E96 A6@A=6 H9@ H2?E 42776:?6 3FE 5@?’E H2?E 4@7766[” D2:5 $E6A96?D] “xE’D C62==J b_ 7=2G@CD E92E J@F 42? 49@@D6 7C@> H96? :E 4@>6D E@ 5C:?<D[ D@ J@F 42? >2<6 :E =@@< =:<6 H92E6G6C J@F H2?E]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm$E6A96?D 2=D@ H2?E65 E@ @776C 2? 256BF2E6 D6=64E:@? @7 7@@5 @? 96C >6?F] pD 2 5:236E:4[ $E6A96?D AC:@C:E:K6D H6=4@>:?8 A6@A=6 @7 2== H2=<D @7 =:76 :? 96C D9@A[ 6DA64:2==J E9@D6 H:E9 E96 D2>6 5:28?@D:D 2D 96CD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x’> 2 5:236E:4[ D@ 2 =@E @7 E:>6D H96? x’> @FE 2?5 23@FE 2?5 8@:?8 E@ 86E D@>6E9:?8 E@ 62E @C 5C:?<[ x’> E96C6 7@C 7@@5 7:CDE D@>6E:>6D[” D2:5 $E6A96?D] “x ?665 7@@5 E@ 96=A H:E9 >J DF82C[ D@ E92E H2D @?6 C62D@? H9J >J 7@@5 >6?F :D D@ 3:8]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmx? 255:E:@? E@ :46 4C62> 2?5 >:=<D92<6D[ %H@ v9@DE’D @776CD 7:G6 D6A2C2E6 3C62<72DE @AE:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 D2G@CJ }FE6==2 E@2DE[ }6H *@C<\D@FC465 3286=D[ @2ED[ 3C62<72DE D2?5H:496D 2?5 9@FD6\>256 688 3:E6D] p? :>A@CE2?E 2DA64E E@ $E6A96?D :D E@ :?4@CA@C2E6 =@42= G6?5@CD 2D >F49 2D A@DD:3=6[ 2?5 D96 A=2?D E@ 368:? D@FC4:?8 96C 688D 7C@> =@42= 72C>6CD :? E96 ?62C 7FEFC6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmqFE H92E <66AD E96 8F6DED 4@>:?8 324<[ $E6A96?D D2JD[ :D E96 49:4<6? D2=25]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x H@F=5 D2J @FC 49:4<6? D2=25 92D 364@>6 4@F?EJ 72>@FD[” D2:5 $E6A96?D] “xE’D 4C2KJ] x’> 2=>@DE 7=2336C82DE65 2E 9@H >F49 49:4<6? D2=25 H6 D6==]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm$:?46 $E6A96?D C6EFC?65 2?5 @A6?65 96C 4@7766 D9@A :? E96 5@H?E@H? s256G:==6 $BF2C6[ D96 92D 2=D@ ?@E:465 E92E E96 2C62 :D 7=@FC:D9:?8 H:E9 ?6H4@>6CD 2?5 ?6H =@42= 3FD:?6DD6D] x? 2? 677@CE E@ 49:A :? H:E9 E96 AC@8C6DD[ $E6A96?D 92D 5@?2E65 E@ E96 s256G:==6 w:89 $49@@= 32?5 2?5 @E96C 6?E:E:6D H:E9:? E96 D49@@= DJDE6>] $96 :D 2=D@ >2<:?8 2CC2?86>6?ED E@ 56=:G6C 4@7766 E@ E62496CD 2E E96 9:89 D49@@=]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x H2D :? E96 32?5 96C6 H96? x H2D :? D49@@=[” D2:5 $E6A96?D] “x H2D 2 5CF> >2;@C] $@ H6 E@@< FA 5@?2E:@?D 7@C E96>[ 2?5 E96J’C6 23@FE E@ 8@ @? 2 EC:A[ D@ H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ >2<6 2 5@?2E:@? E@ E96 EC:A 7@C 7@@5]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“tG6? ?@H[ H96? D@7E32== 2?5 E6??:D 2C6 8@:?8 @?[ x’> 8@:?8 E@ 2EE6>AE E@ 5@?2E6 D@>6 H2E6C @C D@>6E9:?8 3642FD6 x H2?E E96 D49@@= E@ <?@H E92E H6’C6 96C6 7@C E96>[ 6DA64:2==J 36:?8 2=F>?:] xE’D C62==J :>A@CE2?E E@ >6]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%H@ v9@DED r@7766 :D 2 A=246 7@C E96 >2DD6D] %96C6 :D D@>6E9:?8 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 E@ 6?;@J[ ;FDE 2D $E6A96?D :?E6?565 7@C :E E@ 36]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“x H2?E65 6G6CJ@?6 E@ <?@H E92E E9:D :D 2 D276 DA246[ 2 H6=4@>:?8 DA246 7@C 2?J@?6[ 2?5 2== H2=<D @7 =:76 2C6 H6=4@>6 96C6[” $E6A96?D D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%H@ v9@DED r@7766 :D =@42E65 2E aaa (] rFDD6E2 $EC66E 2?5 :D @A6? |@?52J E9C@F89 uC:52J 7C@> f 2]>] E@ c A]>] 2?5 $2EFC52J 7C@> g 2]>] E@ a A]>] u@C >6?F @AE:@?D[ @?=:?6 @C56C:?8 2?5 >@C6[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^EH@89@DED4@7766]4@>QmEH@89@DED4@7766]4@>k^2m]k^DA2?mk^Am





