WS Chronicle

By Busta Brown

Imagine going through depression and physical therapy due to a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) which causes both cognitive and physical delays, and having to change schools several times because of verbal bullying, by not just your peers, but your teachers as well. Because of this, you’ve become insecure and too shy to make eye contact with others. Yet, through all of this, you continue to dream. Through all of this, you somehow found the courage to pursue that dream and worked extremely hard to make it come true. What makes this testimony more extraordinary than others is Camden Myers experienced all of this at only eight years old.

Myers is now 11 and is the visionary, CEO and co-owner with his mother, of Cam’s Coffee Co. in Winston-Salem.

It began as a weekend pop-up style coffee shop in the Twin City and with the support of The Chronicle and other black media outlets, it’s become one of the thriving small businesses in the United States. Camden’s mother and co-owner Latasha Lewis said that it’s been a great journey. “We’ve been on Essence, Ebony, and Black Wall Street. Because of this, we’ve seen our sales go from local, regional, to all across the country.”

Actress Meagan Good follows Cam’s Coffee Co. and takes time out of her very busy schedule to share the company’s posts with her millions of followers. Megan Good starred in movies such as “Roll Bounce,” “Think Like a Man,” “Friday,” “Biker Boyz,” “Venom,” and “Jumping the Broom,” just to name a few.

Cam’s Coffee Co. has become the hot spot for coffee lovers in Winston-Salem because of their unique flavors such as Cam’s cookie craze, which tastes like a chocolate chip cookie. Another big seller is their honey vanilla, and because of the season, the super popular pumpkin spice coffee.

Latasha said they’re more than just a cup of coffee. “We recently added an initiative around herbal teas. We want to contribute to keeping our customers healthy as well, so we work with local farmers to bring local herbs that are organic that do different things to keep the body healthy. We also work with local beekeepers so that our honey is healthy, natural and pure. We have our coffee side and now an herbal and wellness bar, which is right on time, due to flu season. We have lots of things in the shop that will keep you healthy.”

Cam’s Coffee Co. also has some delicious treats as well, such as baked-from-scratch pastries. “One of our most popular is the blueberry muffin. We can hardly keep up with the demand. We also have a peach cobbler muffin, pumpkin spice muffin, and the most popular is our cheesecake brownie,” said Lewis, the businesswoman, wife and proud mother of three.

Camden, who likes to be called Cam, is the visionary and creative force behind the company. He’s very instrumental in creating the unique blends and flavors for the coffee, teas and pastries. Cam’s most important ingredients are love and compassion. Lewis’s husband William Lewis and their other children Shikeaya and Lewis, are also a big part of why the business is thriving. Their community outreach and Cam’s love for helping and mentoring other youth with disabilities, is one of the greatest reasons for their success.

Because of Cam’s passion to empower youth like himself, they’re the first organization that’s created gainful employment opportunities specifically for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities in the Winston-Salem area. Cam and his mother also use the business to provide clothes and food to local youth, along with mentorship and tutoring as well.

So when you support Cam’s Coffee Co., it’s more than just about buying an absolutely delicious cup of coffee, you’re also supporting our community and empowering our future leaders and entrepreneurs.

You can visit their pop-up shop at 101 North Chestnut St. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-3p.m. and Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and The Venture Café at 488 Patterson Ave. on Thursday, 5-8:00 p.m. For more information, or if you’re interested in an internship or volunteering, call 336-505-7999 or visit www.CamCoffeeCo.com.