Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaunie Grigsby.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The concept for Flava Cafe is inspired by my love of the 90’s era aesthetic, such as fashion, hairstyles, music, art, and media. Regardless of location, origin, language, or circumstance, Black folks add flavor to everything we do from food to scholarship and governance. With a passion for coffee, social justice, youth development, and relationship building, a coffee shop was the best space to foster and expand my dreams while investing in others. At Flava Cafe, we are adding flavor to the cafe and coffee market through our branding, products, and commitment to dreaming radically.
Flava Cafe was created out of urgency, to bridge generational gaps and inequities faced by women and girls of color in business and leadership. As a result, Flava will be the only 100% Queer Black-woman owned coffee shop in the Frogtown neighborhood. I am also centering intersectional gender and racial equity through coffee and youth development. My approach to business is human-centered and intersectional and not built around the commodification of labor or talent – this is not business as usual. I am doing what Black women have done for generations – creating impact by doing it ourselves! I have gotten to the place I am today because of my village, those who saw me, heard my vision and believed in my capacity to make my dreams real.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It certainly has not been smooth sailing by any means, but I am a person that likes a challenge. Initially, the struggles were allowing myself to get out of the way with my own fears and doubts. As a youth practitioner and artist, the business world was fairly new to me so it was a challenge to develop a sustainable business plan and financial model for the Cafe that would not only ensure impact, but profitability as well. Once I was able to conquer that piece and actually start putting my vision to work then came the doubts, questions and skepticism from others, but because I could overcome myself I knew their concerns were no match for me. I enjoy learning new things and anticipate that there will be more challenges to come or learning curves to maneuver, but that’s all part of the journey.
We’ve been impressed with Flava Cafe, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Flava Cafe is a Minnesota General Corporation that seeks to disrupt Minnesota’s lack of diverse representation in the coffee/cafe industry. Flava Café is more than a coffee shop or job opportunity – every product sold, and service offered develops deeper ties to the local community, adds economic value, creates space for joy, increases skills, and builds a strong sense of identity for youth and community. Flava Cafe will offer locally sourced quality products, such as coffee, specialty espresso drinks, sandwiches, salads and pastries as well as Flava Cafe branded merchandise, local artwork and wellness products.
Mission:
To build community and radical imagination through coffee and service that eliminates disparities for Black girls and gender expansive youth one latte at a time.
Vision:
To cultivate a cafe culture that curates a safe space for imagination, authentic identity, and community building.
As a social impact business Flava Café offers internship programs in partnership with community youth employment programs serving young women and gender expansive youth ages 16-24. We will also aid in the continuous development of the historic neighborhoods of Frogtown and Rondo by creating a cultural community staple that will reflect the people, respect the history, honor the land and invest in its youth. We will also host special events that directly impact the community and align with Flava’s mission, including book clubs, art shows, open mic nights, workshops and other networking opportunities. To accomplish this, Flava Cafe will collaborate with organizations and local colleges to provide career and academic exposure to youth interns, partner with local artists, authors, entrepreneurs and organizers.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I believe that risk are necessary, without them we cannot elevate as people or begin to imagine a reality different from our normal day-to-day. Personally, I’ve taken many risks over my life, some measured and others out of reaction or response to something. They haven’t always resulted in a positive result, but I don’t think that’s the point. Risk-taking is experimental at best. We have ideas on what we want to happen or what could happen and for some the grey area is scary for others is exciting and sometimes it’s just an ends to a means. In 2021, the biggest risk I’ve taken is leaving a full-time job with benefits and a retirement account to focus more strategically on developing my business. That was not an easy decision to make especially because I enjoyed my work and the comfort of a steady paycheck, but I knew that it was a risk I needed to take in order to make sure this thing could really work and work well.
Pricing:
- Radical Dreams Mug $15
- Throw Pillows $50
- Community Hoodie $52.50
- But first, coffee Tote $15
- Radical Dreams Carrier Bag $40
Contact Info:
- Email: info@flavacafe.org
- Website: www.flavacafe.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flavacafemn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlavaCafeMN
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/flavacafemn
Image Credits
Silent Fox
