My grandfather, John E. Dickens Sr., bought this building in 1949 to support his family through John E. Dickens & Sons Barber Shop. My grandmother, Dorothy, had a cafe on the corner. My parents, Morris Sr. and Mary Hollinshed, ran a neighborhood pub in the building, and over the years other family members have run businesses here too.

It is with gratitude and humility that I opened a community coffee shop and jazz parlor here in December 2018. The pandemic was hard on all of us, and we closed the doors for a season to keep our customers and community safe. We came back better than before.