A new Black-owned café is set to open this summer in Charlotte.
Co-owner Stacy Baker said Grow Café Charlotte will combine a traditional coffee shop with family-focused activities.
Location: 5324 Docia Crossing Road, Suite B, near the Highland Creek neighborhood.
Expected launch: July 2024.
Baker, a Charlotte native, said the space will offer a traditional menu, including espressos and baked goods in partnership with Enderly Coffee Co. She also plans to offer expert-led workshops, play dates, reading circles and more.
“We’re working with families in our community to connect to build relationships,” Baker told QCity Metro. “But it’s also a place where parents can come and let their hair down and can also have access to great coffees.”
Baker will launch the business in partnership with her husband Michael. The couple has three children, ages 2, 4 and 17. It will be their first brick-and-mortar business.
Stacy Baker said Charlotte needs more family-centered spaces.
“If a mom just wanted to grab coffee, that’s not a simple task,” she said. “They might have to drive 45 minutes to access spaces where we can connect with other adults and still have a safe space for our children because not every place is kid friendly, family friendly. It can be really isolating.”
Baker said she has long dreamed of a place where families can relax and engage.
“I’ve been trying to figure out how I [can] really make my mark with youth development and early education,” she said.
Baker holds a master’s degree in public administration from Clemson University and works as a program manager at Smart Start of Mecklenburg County, which works with families to improve early childhood health, education and development and to ensure that children are prepared for kindergarten.
