WS Chronicle

By Judie Holcomb-Pack 

When Al Shaw moved to North Carolina from Houston to open two Starbucks stores, he described his reaction in two words: “culture shock.” “Houston was a very diverse culture; Starbucks had a lot of Black program managers; I was one of three in North Carolina.” 

For someone who truly loves coffee and everything about making it, coffee was more than a drink or a job, it was his passion. In fact, it was a cup of coffee that first attracted his wife, Shay. “We met over coffee.” Shay explained. “He asked me out and cooked dinner for me. He asked if I would like a cup of coffee – he had a professional coffee machine – and made me a fancy drink.” That’s all it took. They’ve been married for 19 years. 

Shay said that Al always had a dream of opening his own coffee shop, but it was a “dream deferred,” waiting for the right opportunity. 

In the 1990s Eric Tucker met Al Shaw while in college. “We first met at A&T in the ‘90s,” said Tucker, “and have been best friends ever since.” They started a food truck called “Juicy Bird” in 2016 and traveled around the Triad. But Shaw still had that “dream deferred” in his mind. 

Then a few months ago Shaw was looking at the Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) occupational therapy department that has a location inside the Intergenerational Center for Arts & Wellness and happened to notice the café was empty and a sign said they were looking for the right tenant. Later he ran into John Brown, facilities manager for the Generations Center, who suggested he email Lee Covington, the CEO. He went home to talk to his wife, Shay 

Shay said he walked in the house and said, “Listen, we need to talk.” He shared with her the opportunity to open a coffee shop and she was all in. Shaw wrote a proposal over the weekend and emailed it to Covington. He received an email to meet and talk with Covington and the CFO. Shaw said the meeting went great, but they told him they were “looking at some others.” 

Another meeting was set where Shaw would serve them samples of his menu items. When they asked when Shaw thought he could be in the place and ready for business, he knew his dream was about to become reality. “Fortunately, they made the right decision!” Everything fell into place, from updating the look of the café to the health department inspection. “We were right on target and we never missed a beat.” 

One advantage of the location is a built-in customer base. Several groups who have locations inside the Generations Center have already placed catering orders, along with outside businesses. On the day The Chronicle visited, two students, D’Asia Williams and Ruta Tekle from WSSU’s occupational therapy class, were having lunch at a table on “Main Street,” the area just outside Black Coffee & Cuisine that runs from the front doors to the end of the building where the WSSU classroom is located. Both said it was their first time dining there, but they really liked it. “Eric has good customer service, it was only a 5-minute wait, and it is a beautiful area, relaxing to eat out in the courtyard.” Tekle added, “I like the student discount, and also seniors.” 

Two other gentlemen were dining just outside the café, Chris Ross and Julian Jackson. Both said they have eaten there more than once. Ross said, “It’s absolutely wonderful, the coffee is great, I had the caramel latte.” Ross mentioned he has a podcast, The Ross Cloud Podcast, where he has conversations with people in the community. 

Jackson is the student conduct coordinator for Forsyth Tech (FTCC). His favorite item is “the blueberry cake, definitely.” 

Cynthia Stivender had recently attended the Senior Services Art Show and brought her friend, Jennifer Fitzgerald, to tour the Generations Center. They stopped by Black Coffee & Cuisine to check out the desserts and each chose a chocolate chip cookie. 

Shaw plans for Black Coffee & Cuisine to be his “flagship” store and to replicate it in other areas. His vision is for it to become a place “with a vibe, to decompress, relax, be greeted with a smile … and we give hugs when needed,” he said with a smile. They have limited hours currently but plan to expand when they find great people to work there who share their vision and enthusiasm for great customer service. 

“We want this to be a home, a ‘third place’ for people to go,” said Shaw. 

Black Coffee and Cuisine is located inside the Generations Center, 113 30th Street. Through August there is construction going on in the Wake Forest University expansion on Deacon Blvd./30th St., so the best way to access their location is to turn at the light at University Parkway and Coliseum Drive toward the Fairgrounds, left on Shorefair Drive and right on 30th St. Hours are currently Tuesday-Thursday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., with the addition of Friday hours coming soon. Follow them on Facebook at Black Coffee & Cuisine.