On Friday mornings, Grin Coffee Company is bustling. The barista brews the next order, recognizing a familiar face, and drizzles milk in wide arches into a warm cup of espresso. No one is taking their coffee to go.
This scene is common at Grin Coffee and other coffee shops in Hattiesburg. With varied atmospheres and a focus on connection, more coffee shops have opened in the area with increasing success.
According to a combination of local coffee shops’ social media and websites, about nine coffee shops have opened in Hattiesburg since 2019, not including restaurants or bakeries that serve coffee. These coffee shops include popular staples such as Equinox Coffee and Mulvi’s Coffee Company, which opened in 2019, and new contenders like Café de Luna, which opened this past summer. These coffee shops have grabbed the interest of different crowds as each shop has its own distinct aesthetic displayed throughout its space.
Mo’Bay Beignet Company, which opened in the summer of 2022, is one example of a shop that has gained traction, particularly with large groups this fall.
“There’s definitely a surge every August, but this fall I’ve already had to increase my staff,” said Morgan Whitehead, the owner of Mo’Bay Beignet Co.’s Hattiesburg location.
Whitehead attributes the increase in customers to the shop’s layout, which encourages people to spread out and work. The space includes a long conference table, seating along wide windows, two couches in the back, and outdoor seating. A group of William Carey University medical students have become regulars and told Whitehead that the setup is inviting and encourages them to stay.
Grin Coffee Co. also focuses on presentation and space, which has contributed to its success. Owner Tommy Teepell emphasized the importance of design when opening Grin’s new location in the summer of 2023. With a mid-century Palm Springs aesthetic, the shop features a variety of seating options, from bar stools and sofas to seating near tall windows.
These choices have paid off as many customers enjoy the space, including Regan Steen. Steen is a political science major at the University of Southern Mississippi and a regular at Grin Coffee Co., coming by the coffee shop at least once a week to do schoolwork. She said one reason she enjoys Grin Coffee is because the space has a lot of natural light.
“When I’m studying in my room, it’s dark and cramped, and Grin has a bigger space that has more light and is comfortable, and I don’t feel miserable doing my school work,” Steen said.
Steen noted that while Grin’s space works for her, others may prefer different coffee shops, like Mulvi’s Coffee Company.
“Where I feel more comfortable at Grin, another person may feel more comfortable at Mulvi’s. So, it keeps [Grin’s] space open so not everyone is going there,” Steen said.
Each coffee shop in Hattiesburg offers a variety of environments or spaces to choose from, which allows these different shops to do well with different customers within the community. But although a coffee shop’s space might first bring a customer through the door, it is the people who work or come to the space that make people stay.
Steen said another reason she enjoys Grin Coffee and other local coffee shops is that they feel more personal than going to a regular coffee chain like Starbucks.
“It doesn’t feel like as much of a transaction as it would at a more corporate place, but more like a conversation,” Steen said.
This interaction between the customer and the barista is an element both Whitehead and Teepell believe is another strong factor for their coffee shops’ success.
“If you can offer great customer service, you have half the battle won,” Whitehead said.
Whitehead has referred to her staff as a blessing, as customers have asked for specific baristas or have left positive reviews based solely on customer service. Whitehead has said she takes customer service seriously as she has stressed to her staff that one coffee may be the highlight or best part of someone’s day.
“Coffee is connection,” Teepell said.
He and his staff try to follow their motto, painted colorfully on the back wall, “Cultivate Happiness,” when brewing every cup of coffee. Teepell has said that customer service and building a community around the coffee shop have played a considerable role in the shop’s success, as it would not be where it is today without the help of the community, whether it be support from larger administration or locals.
The owners of Mo’Bay Beignet Co. and Grin Coffee Co. agree that offering inviting spaces and cultivating strong connections with customers have significantly contributed to their success in Hattiesburg.
