Concord

Coming Soon Concord: 18-Year-Old Entrepreneur Opening Selah Coffee House

Recent high school graduate Saralyn Hayes shared about her plans to open her business.

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CONCORD, NC – Selah Coffee House, a new coffee shop from owner Saralyn Hayes, is preparing for an August 8 grand opening at 1115 Old Charlotte Rd SW, Concord, NC 28027, Hayes told Business Debut in a recent phone interview.

Hayes said the concept grew from her faith in Jesus and her past work in coffee. "The Lord just really put it on my heart to provide a place for people to come and feel the love of Him, and to just rest and fellowship and drink coffee," Hayes told Business Debut.

What to Expect

Selah Coffee House will be a Christ-centered gathering place that offers space for both quick visits and longer stays.

"We have some couches, some comfy chairs, some meeting rooms," Hayes said. The layout supports customers who want to sit, study, meet or talk.

The shop will also feature a drive-thru for guests who want a faster stop while commuting or running errands.

Hayes previously worked at a coffee shop and said she values the community that forms around daily coffee visits. She said she plans to share the gospel through coffee and create a setting where people feel loved.

Hayes, 18, said she launched the business soon after graduating high school. She told Business Debut that prayer, savings, a church scholarship and donations of equipment and funds helped move the project from idea to opening.

"I was always raised like either you're going to get a job or you're going to get a school and I didn't really have a desire to go off to college. I didn't know what I wanted to do and I didn't want to get into student loans for no reason. The Lord put the coffee shop on my heart and he just made a way for it to happen," Hayes said.