Castleberry Hills cafe and bookstore creates warm space for Atlanta's LGBTQ+ community
One Atlanta cafe is proving that coffee can do more than wake you up — it can uplift you. The owner is using her shop to honor her best friend and create a home for community and creativity.
It may look like another cup of coffee, but for Lyshae Rollins, there's more to the pour.
Rollins created Two Best Friends Café & Books in the Castleberry Hills neighborhood to provide a warm environment for Atlanta's LGBTQ+ community.
"Tonight we're getting ready for the Friendly Mic, which is an open mic dedicated to queer people of color that are just getting out there. Whether they are a rapper, actor, or singer, the Friendly Mic is a place to test it out in front of a friendly audience," she said.
Rollins said she opened the cafe and bookstore in tribute to her best friend, Sa'Mon Richardson, who she says died two years ago from domestic violence. There's a portrait honoring Richardson on the cafe's wall.
With each greeting and each page flipped, Rollins is creating a hub that reflects the customers she's serving.
"When people come in, they definitely feel welcome. They feel a little break from normal Atlanta life," she said.
At a time when books written by Black and queer authors are being removed from mainstream shelves or face restrictions, Rollins created a space where these words are still featured.
"We want to keep those authors on our shelves to keep highlighting their stories and keep giving access points to the community," she said.
During the Friendly Mic earlier this year, the bookstore's clientele embraced themselves and shared their art.
"I've been coming here since the beginning of last year, and I just instantly loved it. Spaces like this feel like resistance. It feels like fighting back because we're creating space that doesn't really exist," customer Valencia Jones said. "As soon as we leave this space, it feels like war again — so it feels good to be in community to let your guard down."
It's a space created for comfort, creating community.
You can learn more about Two Best Friends Café & Books on its website.
