The Mama Mocha’s coffee shops, known for their eccentric decor matching “your weird aunt’s living room,” strive to foster an inclusive community for people of all religions, sexual orientations, political preferences, careers and ages in an otherwise conservative, Southern state.
“I hate to use the term safe space,” said Sarah Barnett, owner of Mama Mocha’s in both the Auburn and Opelika locations. “I feel like it’s so overused. People know I’m very accepting, and Mama Mocha’s is a business who loves everyone.”
Mama Mocha’s employee Sydney Brown described the community at Mama Mocha’s as open, accepting, generous and kind.
“We also don’t put up with boo-boo attitudes,” Brown said. “So if you’re going to be boo-boo, you get out, you know? It’s a place of love and acceptance, and we don’t tolerate intolerance. It’s beautiful.”
Auburn resident and long-time Mama Mocha’s customer Katie Hanna described Auburn as a one-size-fits-all type of town, and she said Mama Mocha’s is a breath of fresh air.
“[Mama Mocha’s] is one of the few places where you see different kinds of people,” Hanna said. “It’s spunky, and it’s not very pretentious.”
She said she moved to Auburn from another state and made all her friends in Auburn at Mama Mocha’s.
Barnett said her goal in owning the shops isn’t financially driven. She’s motivated to foster a community in which everyone is safe from judgment and where intolerance is prohibited. This is what makes her feel fulfilled.
“There aren’t a lot of places in town, especially in the South, that are like this,” Brown said. “You can be anybody [at Mama Mocha’s] — any age, any genre of person, old, Southern, young, liberal. It’s a wonderful melting pot of personalities.”
Barnett described Mama Mocha’s as “kind of the weirdos” in comparison to other local coffee shops and gathering places.
“We are LGBTQ friendly, and we have pretty openly gay employees,” Barnett said. “We try to represent a lot of different races with the employees, as well.”
She said she believes this helps customers feel comfortable with who they are in her shops.
Barnett said she enjoys the other coffee shops in the Auburn and Opelika area and doesn’t want to discredit or vilify them.
“Everyone has their own flavor, and I love that,” Barnett said.
She said she maintains her inclusive haven by being extra specific and careful when hiring employees.
“We know what kind of dialogue [in the shops] we accept and the kind of dialogue we shut down,” Barnett said. “I think in that philosophy it enables my staff to kind of be the gatekeepers of culture.”
Hanna said the owner hires vibrant, eclectic and brilliant employees.
“This attracts such a wide variety of people,” Hanna said. “For me, it is kind of the counter-culture of Auburn. You can go there and expect to meet a wide variety of people and connect on a deeper level.”
Brown said if she sees someone “messing with” a customer, she will tell them to stop or they will be asked to leave.
“It’s important that the people here feel safe and happy and drink their coffee,” she said.
Most of the Mama Mocha’s customers are open to talk to anyone and the sense of community happens organically, Barnett said.
Brown said customers tell her regularly how thankful they are for the inclusive attitudes fostered at Mama Mocha’s.
“Because we foster that sort of open communication and loving atmosphere,” she said.
“[Mama Mocha’s] has already influenced a lot of people,” Brown said. “Every single person who walks in here gets to be touched by that feeling.”
She said she can reach people in this small way, and they can go out and spread “the good word.”
“Any progression toward a more open-mindedness in Auburn will in one way or another be led by Mama Mocha’s,” Hanna said. “Because the owner believes in making changes that many consider progressive. But really, because she wants to help people and is a forward thinker.”
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