Cxffeeblack officially opened the doors to its new flagship café this past weekend, marking a major milestone for the nationally recognized Memphis coffee brand.
Located at 3386 Bowen Ave. in Mitchell Heights, the newly restored space expands on the company’s original Anti-Gentrification Coffee Club nearby. The opening followed more than four years of planning and community investment and was celebrated with a multi-day grand opening that included a ribbon-cutting, East African coffee ceremony, live music, pop-ups, and a community brunch.
The new café offers more room for gathering, working, and hosting events, while continuing Cxffeeblack’s focus on hospitality, education, and cultural connection. Built with support from more than 500 community investors, the space reflects a belief that coffee can serve as both ceremony and community anchor.
During opening weekend, Cxffeeblack also announced a new collaboration with Memphis hip-hop icon 8Ball: 8 Ball Brand Coffee, a premium, limited-edition coffee roasted by Cxffeeblack. Only 800 autographed bundles of the exclusive original blend will be released.
Best known as one-half of the legendary duo 8Ball & MJG, 8Ball said the collaboration celebrates his legacy while highlighting shared values around culture, entrepreneurship, and ownership. The partnership brings together two Memphis institutions rooted in storytelling and independence.
Founded by Bartholomew Jones and Renata Henderson, Cxffeeblack has gained national attention for building an all-Black coffee supply chain connecting African coffee growers directly to Memphis. The vertically integrated business spans importing, roasting, brewing, education, and storytelling, with a focus on reclaiming coffee’s African origins and centering Black participation at every level of the industry.
What began as a series of pop-ups has grown into a nationally recognized venture, with Cxffeeblack products carried at local retailers and served at restaurants across the city. Even as the brand expands into new markets, Jones and Henderson say Memphis remains home.
The new Bowen Avenue café reinforces that commitment — not just as a larger space, but as a deeper investment in community, culture, and the city that helped shape the vision.
