Three years ago, Jake and Mallory Adkison brought a taste of their New Orleans heritage to the CSRA through NOLA coffee. They loved the cold brewed concoction and shared it via a pop-up cart that rolled around Edgefield and other areas.
Their business was such a hit that they opened a brick-and-mortar store six months later at Langley Plaza in the Midland Valley area of Aiken County. Will and Whitney Ray fell in love with NOLA coffee and became loyal customers.
“It was a dream of ours to own a coffee shop. We started training in early February and on February 21 signed the papers as the new owners,” said Whitney Ray.
Just as the good times roll in New Orleans this week during Mardi Gras, Jake and Mallory are moving on.
“Jake took a job as an Assistant Pastor in Colorado Springs, and I will be a stay-at-home mom for a while and work on getting my Master’s degree. When we knew we would be moving, we prayed about it and Will and Whitney came to mind,” explained Mallory.
The Rays are all in when it comes to carrying on the tradition that began with NOLA. You will still be able to enjoy the coffee and flavors they introduced and then some, including an expanded line of food.
“My husband is a woodworker in Aiken so at some point we will introduce charcuterie boards. In the meantime, we will be rolling out some fresh baked goods including mini crumble cakes which pair well with the King Cake latte,” said Whitney.
The Rays are also focused on some March specialty items including St. Patrick’s Day and Girl Scout Cookie brews.
Like the Adkison’s, the Rays have a heart for the community and will continue to partner with other area small businesses including Mac Daddy Macarons.
“As far as the name change from NOLA Coffee to Grain and Grind, Whitney says the name change wasn’t taken lightly, but we felt like that was their name. With our vision for the boards and adding more fresh baked items, the new name seemed to fit with our goals.”
Whitney and Will Ray hope you will rise and grind with them from Monday through Saturday, 6:30 am until 2:30 pm Monday through Saturday. Follow them on Facebook here.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means! If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
