Today we’d like to introduce you to Macey Estrella.
Hi, Macey; thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up, my parents struggled with addiction and depression. Due to drugs and alcohol, I found myself trying desperately to break the cycle and not only finish school but go on to be a voice for those in the same or similar situations. At 12 years old, I started drinking coffee to get myself up and going in the morning without the help of my parents. I worked multiple jobs and juggled school and sports in a desperate attempt to stay away from everything that led my parents to the lives they lived. While living in tents, broken homes, and on couches as a young child, I promised myself that I would break the cycle and help others do the same. I joined the United States Marine Corps at 19, became a WWE Superstar, and opened a “sunny summers cafe,” which helps you get motivated and moving through coffee, bright colors, and uplifting mental health quotes hidden throughout. At the cafe, we highlight other small businesses and entrepreneurs’ goals by allowing them space to promote, host local AA meetings on-site with a full coffee and donut bar provided free of charge, schedule goal-oriented seminars, work with the local drug prevention agency to provide education and training in house and have a mental health library full of books designed to help with addiction, depression, and mindset.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, but neither was my childhood, so once I could use my pain to fight for others, the struggle became worth it.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Sunny Summers Cafe keeps you motivated and moving through mental health pick-me-ups and great coffee. Voted the number one coffee shop in Beaufort in October 2023, we take pride in our excellent locally roasted coffee, customer service, and the quality we provide. We make handmade donuts from scratch daily and are open 7 days a week. Sunny Summers Cafe was named after my two daughters, “Sunny and Summer,” we are a veteran and family-owned and operated business. We are known for our unique selfie walls and mental health artwork scattered throughout and in every square inch of the cafe. There is even a “take one wall” in the bathroom filled with fortune cookie-style papers with motivational quotes to help you get through your day. We also have a cellphone jail program stating: your cellphone has already replaced your TV, computer, and alarm clock; don’t let it replace your family. If you put your cell phones in our cell phone jail, you get free donuts to have with your family. This was created to help remind busy parents and families to unplug and spend uninterrupted, quality time together. Our goal here at Sunny Summers Cafe is to provide a family-friendly space where people can come to get a great coffee pick-me-up and a mental one. Through color therapy, scent therapy, lavender lattes, lavender lemonades, a mental health library, and events provided to our community that are uplifting and educational to help those in need, we strive to make the world a better place one coffee and uplifting experience at a time.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those just starting.
Keep going if you have a dream you are passionate about. Chase it because life is too short to wake up in an environment that drains your soul and happiness.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @sunnysummerscafe
- Facebook: SUNNY SUMMERS CAFE LLC
