By Ameera Steward | The Birmingham Times
From sweet coffee to sweet treats, Grounds is a coffee shop dedicated to boosting the city of Birmingham, as well as providing space for those in need.
Opened in 2023 by Reggie Collier and Tyler Hatcher, Grounds is a Black-owned establishment located at 2214 2nd Ave. N. Suite 100. It shares a space with basic, a sustainable clothing store.
“We had a lot of people telling us, ‘Birmingham doesn’t have enough third spaces—not home, not work, but a space where I can just come and be with my friends and make friends.’ And so that has really been the nature of our whole experience,” said 33-year-old Hatcher. “[We’re] creating a low-pressure environment where you can gather with like-minded people. … We’re grateful that we can fill that void.”
Collier, 32, added, “People feel like it’s a safe space. They feel comfortable there. It kind of feels like home, and I love that. … I also think [Grounds is] a good space for creatives. … Birmingham has a lot to offer, but we just didn’t see many spaces centered around our identities, so we made one.”
Grounds is now a key component of Birmingham Small Business Week (SBW), which will take place May 4–10, 2025. The annual gathering that began in 2020 as a modest three-virtual-event affair has blossomed into a six-day, 15-event that attracts major keynote speakers and provides invaluable educational and networking opportunities.
Ahead of SBW, Collier hosted a series of sessions, titled “Coffee and Conversations: The State of Small Business,” with Birmingham’s Office of Business Diversity and Opportunity (OBDO). One session was held in March and another in April, during which Grounds served coffee and pastry.
The importance of SBW, Collier said, “is bringing small business owners and leaders in the community together and really listening to each other, getting each other’s feedback—how do we make things better, how do we make Birmingham better?”
In regard to Grounds being chosen as a host, he added, “I’m just really honored that [the OBDO] reached out and was willing to give us this opportunity to partner with them and be their vendor for coffee. … I’m glad they continue to work with us on it.”
“Here We Are”
Collier, originally from Athens, Alabama, moved to Birmingham in 2016 to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he studied psychology. He made the decision that school was not for him and took a full-time management position at Honeycreeper Chocolate, a recently closed chocolate shop located where Grounds currently operates.
As Honeycreeper prepared to shut its doors in September 2023, Collier was sitting with his coworkers before the official closing and thought about opening a coffee shop in the space because some past customers had recommended that the chocolatier add coffee to the establishment.
“We also had a desire to create a space that felt different than the other coffee shops we’ve been to, … one that was more reflective of our values and our community as Black and queer people,” Collier said. “We didn’t want it to be just about drinks and pastries, we wanted it to be about connection … and being really intentional about the products we carry and the ingredients we use.”
He added, “I just ran with it and didn’t know if it was ever going to actually come to fruition. It really was just an idea, and then I got a lot of support behind it—and here we are.”
Hatcher was born and raised in Birmingham. He grew up in Center Point until he was 8 years old, when he and his mom moved to the Chalkville/Trussville area. He graduated from Clay-Chalkville High School and, in 2009, he moved to Troy, Alabama, to attend Troy University, where he studied broadcast journalism with a focus on advertising. In 2012, Hatcher transferred to UAB to study communication management. He graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Management.
Hatcher and Collier have been married for five years, having said their “I do’s” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Neighborhood Living Room
Grounds officially opened in December 2023, and the couple has been doing a balancing act since that time. In addition to owning the coffee shop, Hatcher still works a full-time position within the financial services industry.
“I always kind of framed it in my mind that I will continue to do the traditional things. … I’ll continue to try to climb this career ladder,” said Hatcher, explaining that Collier handles the logistics for the coffee shop—inventory, staffing, scheduling, etc.
“This is our way of taking two parallel routes to our own financial freedom and our own security and ownership,” Hatcher continued. “It feels like [this] is a channel for us [to build] the life we want when the resources and traditional path were never really available.”
At the shop, Collier does a little bit of everything: “I’m the barista, the buyer. I’m the website person. I do pretty much all of it, with the exception [of] the marketing. … I don’t do too much of the social media. I will if I have to, but my role is mainly just running the day-to-day operations.”
Hatcher and Collier are not only seeking balance to build the life they want but also striving to consistently build community within the city of Birmingham by building partnerships and providing a safe haven for those in need.
Because they don’t roast their own coffee, Grounds partners with Cala—another local coffee shop located on Third Avenue—which provides them with coffee beans. In addition to coffee, Grounds sells greeting cards, vintage glassware, and other finds that Collier and Hatcher source themselves. The syrups they use are from a company called Pink House Alchemy, and Collier makes baked goods daily. Furthermore, they host events and pop-up shops with the motive of helping other marginalized communities and businesses.
“[Grounds] has proven that minority, … marginalized, and underrepresented people can build a business, and that everyone is welcome,” Hatcher said. “And if you’re looking for a new space, if you’re looking to make friends, if you’re feeling alone, … you can come into our [establishment] and you’re going to find somebody you can align with. … We’re not just a coffee shop. … It’s a space that we are actively always building for the community of Birmingham.
“It is really special to not only have built a brand [in] Birmingham, … [a brand that people seem to] love in my hometown, but also to be on one of the same streets that was impactful for the Civil Rights Movement. … It’s a special feeling to really see the progression of what Birmingham is today from where our raw history started, … and we feel grateful to be able to build that legacy here.”
Collier added, “I really appreciate the fact that we’re being recognized [by the community]. I’ve heard several people call us the ‘Neighborhood Living Room’ … and a really inclusive space where everyone’s welcome. [Grounds is] just a place where you can come and hang out and not have to worry about whatever stress you [have] in your day. … We love that.”
Grounds is located at 2214 2nd Ave. N. Ste. 100, Birmingham, AL 35203. To place a to-go order or shop for merch, visit their website https://groundsbhm.com/
