We recently connected with Arlene Brooks and have shared our conversation below.

Arlene, appreciate you joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

I came up with the name of my business first with Coffee Speaks by asking God to give me an idea because I knew I wanted to eventually leave Corporate America and wanted to have something to do after I would retire and also I had lost my mom in 2016 and I wanted to be able to carry on the memory of her. Coffee is the memory of my mom. When I was a child when you would smell coffee in the morning you knew Mom was up! So I get to experience her every morning I open the shop and make coffee. Tea Talks came one year later when I knew God was pushing me to get open and I asked about Tea people because not everyone drink coffee and that’s when I got the remaining of the business name. The only part I had in creating the name is the letter “N” in Coffee Speaks N Tea Talks!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I have always been in Corporate America for the most part, so my discipline in customer service has always been at the forefront of my career. Taking care of clients and people whether picking up a 911 call or selling a client a service or product was very important in being that I wanted to be very helpful to them and it was always thoughtfulness and kindness to what I do. People are important and I always felt that is has been my responsibility to care for them and provide excellent and honest service to them. My brand is “What is Your Coffee Sayin” It makes people feel engaging and conversational when we ask. The vibe and mood of the place is warm, inviting and jazzy. You feel right at home here.
The things that set us a part is that everything we do here has a voice that speaks or talks. Meaning the art on the walls speaks, the music captures you as we represent a different narrative meaning that we create an experience for you here. We create events that brings jazz music and poetry after the standard coffee/tea flows moves away after 5 PM on a monthly basis. Its a great place to network, study, have meetings or just be present.

Have you ever had to pivot?

We had to close our doors when mandated by the state during Covid, and when we could open we still could not have people inside the business. That meant we could not do our Jazz nights. People were afraid to be around each other. The one thing that I know is music brings people together. So I pivoted in taking Jazz outside in the parking lot and creating Jazz Under The Starz In and Around Your Cars. We invited the community out every other weekend for free to enjoy the jazz as well as create a place for artists to play and visual artist to paint. This then became a wanted event that grew over close to 300 people in the parking lot. It became too large to continue in the lot. I went to my Chamber in which I am a member and was connected to Avalon Wesley Chapel. It is a community that is building its own downtown with an outdoor Amphitheatre, and we now have created a new company called Jazz Under the Starz and have partnered with The Avalon Group as a partner to provide Jazz events there on a monthly basis and soon to also have another coffee shop in their downtown community.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What I know has created the reputation for Coffee Speaks N Tea Talks is our customers! The best recommendation or referrals always come from the customers who have been here and have had a great experience here at Coffee Speaks N Tea Talks and that they create reviews on our Google pages and social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.coffeespeaksnteatalks.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/coffeespeaksnteatalks
• Facebook: facebook.com/coffeespeaksnteatalks.com