GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Arick Davis and Sarah Laman love coffee. So much so, they wanted to use their respective backgrounds in electrical engineering, environmental sustainability and marketing to create a coffee company.
For it to work in their eyes, though, this needed to be more than just your run-of-the-mill shop. They wanted to use their business to change the world.
So, they created Last Mile Cafe.
"Our background, me and Sarah, we were doing like technology, software, nonprofit work," Davis said. "I knew that I wanted to do something that was going to give back and really help make the world a better place. Coffee just seemed like a fun place to start with that, where coffee could really be the center. It creates community, it creates story, it creates connections with the entire world. At the same time, we get to use our expertise in marketing and software to really make the experience better than what a lot of coffee shops are able to provide today. “
This brand new company focuses on three pillars: Charity, Sustainability and Inclusivity.
Let's start with charity — 10% of every purchase gets donated to charity. The causes they contribute to deal with environmental justice, clean drinking water, criminal justice reform and youth at-risk.
As far as sustainability goes, their coffee bags are made from renewable and compostable resources.
Finally, Last Mile Cafe is black-owned and woman-owned.
“I think it makes it super exciting," Davis said, "that we can kind of crack the barrier and just move on. Representation matters, like so much. I love Grand Rapids. When you look around, how many black owned businesses do you see? I grew up in the 49507. Our cafe is going to be right there. What I'm most excited about is that community and kids that run around that neighborhood, like me, can walk into this business and really open their eyes to what they can do. They don't have to do coffee, they can do whatever they want. I'm just excited that we can like be the gateway into that for other people.”
So far, Last Mile Cafe has solely operated online. However, their first brick-and-mortar location at 1006 Hall St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507 is set to open on December 4. Davis said a ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for 3:23 p.m. that day.
You can visit their booth this weekend during the 15th Grand Rapids Wine, Beer and Food Festival at DeVos Place. The event runs from 4-10 p.m. on Friday and 2-10 p.m. on Saturday.
General Admission is $20; food and drink tickets are separate. ID's are required for entry.