GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — This past week has been one of the most exhaustive weeks of Arick Davis’s life. Sunday, he and his partner Sarah Laman opened Last Mile Cafe on the city’s southeast side. Over 1,000 people attended the grand opening and he was on his feet meeting as many of them as possible.
However, since then, he hasn’t sat down much, nor has he stopped smiling.
“I can’t think of a better word than like a blessing to be able to be here and be able to have this space to be able to create jobs in the neighborhood that I grew up in,” Davis said. “I guess I just feel grateful.”
Davis said that he and Laman started their business during the pandemic, selling their coffee in the farmers market. However, when they thought about opening a brick-and-mortar shop, they knew the southeast side was where they wanted to be.
“We absolutely had opportunities to be downtown but that’s not where we wanted to be,” Davis said. “We wanted to be right here in the 49507 area. This building that we got on Hall Street is just phenomenal.”
Ever seen someone smile while at work? The entire time?
— Lauren Edwards (@LaurenEdwardsTV) December 9, 2022
That’s what Arick Davis did all day at @lastmilecafe ☕️ He’s the co-owner of LMC, where they emphasize inclusivity, sustainability & social responsibility.
Oh, and 10% of their revenue goes to charity. // @FOX17 pic.twitter.com/Uu3F1HWmqW
Since they opened on Sunday, Dec. 4 — the birthday of hip-hop mogul Jay Z, whose music subtly played over the speakers while people purchased bags of coffee called The Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt — they’ve seen a lot of old customers and made new ones.
“With as many different coffee shops and other things that there were in Grand Rapids, there were still so many people that felt like they didn’t have a place that was truly for them,” he said. “And because me and Sarah started this — a Black- and woman-owned company — I think that people are really coming in and just organically feeling comfortable and feeling welcomed here.”
Davis said he thinks that others believe in their mission of inclusivity, sustainability and social responsibility.
“For all of our revenue 10 percent of that does go to charity,” Davis said. “So, whether you buy a cup of coffee, merch, or anything, 10 percent of all revenue goes to charity. Specifically, when you buy a bag of coffee, you can pick which cause your donation goes to. So, that’s split up between four different causes because it’s your money.”
At @lastmilecafe (a woman & Black-owned cafe) on Hall:
— Lauren Edwards (@LaurenEdwardsTV) December 9, 2022
🫱🏾🫲🏼10% of revenue goes to charity
🫱🏾🫲🏼 When u buy bag of ☕️ u pick which cause it goes to (ie: @aya_youth or @innocence … it varies)
🫱🏾🫲🏼 Their Lost Boy ☕️ is a blend from young 👩🏽🌾👨🏻🌾 overseas that also supports them. // @FOX17 pic.twitter.com/3yE8AOgNfw
He said the charities — like the AYA Youth Collective, the Innocence Project, etc. — are chosen by the community. People vote by texting a number found on LMC’s Instagram page.
“In addition to that 10 percent of all of our revenue, we’re also trying to source coffee that we feel proud about. One particular coffee is called the Lost Boy, and that is a blend of farmers that are all under 35,” Davis said. “We just think it’s exciting that we can kind of help support youth at risk in those countries by really just supporting young farmers, and there’s a lot that goes into that. But by simply buying their coffee I think we’re giving opportunities to continue to grow and advance.”
That’s what they’d like to do as well: grow and advance, he said. There’s plans to install a roaster and also host coffee classes.
Their goal, he said, is for Last Mile to not only feel like home for them but for anyone who walks through the door.
“There’s a lot that we want to do now that we have this building,” Davis said. “Really activating it and bringing people in and creating a hub for the community but also just, like, helping Grand Rapids kind of solidify this idea of being a coffee city.”
