HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — It takes time to get the right blend.
“You kind of have to be here,” Marcia Cox said, as she stood over her coffee roaster.
It is an all-day task. However, as a senior in college, Cox knew she didn’t want to waste time doing anything else.
“I just knew that I would really regret it if I didn’t lean into my love for coffee and roasting," Cox said. "So, I decided that I didn’t want to go to law school."
After graduating from North Carolina A&T State University she jumped right into the world of entrepreneurship.
In January, Cox started her coffee business, Kaldi’s Coffeehouse and Roastery.
“I feel like it’s underrepresented in the Black community. I also don’t know a lot of Black women who roast their own coffee, so I wanted to chart my own path,” Cox explained.
Not only is she charting her own path but she’s putting time and effort into helping an HBCU in need.
“Being familiar with the area and driving past the campus and also being an HBCU grad, it really could be any one of our schools,” said Cox.
Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh is dealing with a financial and accreditation crisis. When Cox heard the news, she decided to come up with a plan to help.
“So, [it's] something my dad and I were actually talking about because we are both HBCU grads. I just wanted to start making roasted coffee for the school. That way I can still tie my passion for coffee into helping out the community as well,” Cox shared.
She created the St. Augustine’s University-inspired 1867 blend and 30% of sales will go directly to the school’s Falcon Pride initiative fundraising campaign.
“Since I last checked we’ve had over 40 orders. Some people are placing multiple items within that one order. We’ve been shipping as far as California and New York,” Cox said.
Over time Cox wants to continue to bring awareness to HBCUs, as she continues to perfect the right blend.
“I’m hoping, depending on how much money I have raised I can a price match where I donate money out of my own pocket. The more money the better,” she said.
Cox said her goal is to get out to farmers markets and events. Soon, she hopes to open her first shop.
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