bailey + henrique – ten year anniversary – thomasville, al

Happy Thursday, friends!

Today on the blog, you’ll meet a sweet, hardworking couple that I’ve known for many years – Bailey and Henrique. Seth and I both went to school with the Bailey and Henrique and have since watched them marry, create a beautiful family, and build a thriving business in our hometown.

So, for starters, I’m a huge fan of small business and entrepreneurship. Anyone who is bold enough to step out into their own world and blaze their own path gets extra stars in my book. So when these two decided to open a coffee shop in town, I was thrilled for them.

They started crafting their dream in a storefront within a small shopping center in the middle of town in February of 2016. Since then, they’ve grown a following not only from the local community, but have had many guests travel from surrounding counties just to check them out. In January of 2017, they made the move from the shopping center to one of the most historic buildings in Thomasville – The Champion House.

Growing up, The Champion House was, at least in my mind, this grand building in town that hosted fancy events for the Thomasville elite. Now, I could be exaggerating a little, but for a poor little girl from the country, it was magnificent. In high school, Seth and I attended an after-prom party there, and throughout the years, I’ve always wished somebody would take on the building for daily use rather than intermittent weekend gatherings. And that’s exactly what Bailey and Henrique did.

They have breathed life back into this old building by keeping an array of fresh flowers on the tables and new feet coming through its thresholds.

For an entrepreneur in a small town, I understand it can be scary to stray from the main flow of traffic through town to a less traveled area, but I think this move has served these precious people very well. With this move, they’ve revitalized a historic building and created a real coffee shop atmosphere. They’ve lured the caffeine deprived to the little downtown that we locals know and love to share in its quaintness. They’ve even dedicated rooms upstairs to showcasing other local artisans and entrepreneurs and provided an additional shopping experience to patrons.

So, whether you live in the area or are ever just passing through, do me a favor and stop in and see these great folks. I can tell you from experience that their latte is great, every sandwich I’ve eaten made me want to lick the plate afterwards, and I could probably gorge myself on that peanut butter pie.

No, seriously, get the pie.

Southern Grounds Coffee Shoppe – 133 West Front Street, Thomasville, AL

Monday – Friday – 7AM – 5:30PM

Saturday – 8AM – 1PM

Sunday – CLOSED