In October 2020, Downtown Suffolk Business Launch winners and real estate brokers Domenick Epps and Danita Hayes launched Wall Street Café on Washington Street in downtown Suffolk.

“Great food, great coffee, great conversation and [financial] education is what the atmosphere of Wall Street Café is all about!” – Danita Hayes

Emphasizing the role of entrepreneurs in Black history, the “Wall Street” referenced in the name is not the one most people think of in New York, NY. Instead, it alludes to the many prosperous Black-owned business districts of the South that prospered over the past 100 years. While some customers may come only for the menu of food and coffee specialties, Epps and Hayes also have a menu of educational programs each week, featuring a variety of asset classes that are accessible to beginners, including stocks, FOREX, (foreign exchange), commercial real estate and homeownership.

Co-locating a professional service, like personal financial advising, with hospitality and retail can draw in new clients, or host existing ones, in a way that is welcoming and warm. When trying to reach clients who have never worked with a personal financial advisor before, this is especially important. It also helps to make the business more resilient during challenging times, as so many have encountered during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Fun fact: In addition to starting the Wall Street Café during 2020, Epps and Hayes purchased and renovated the real estate which hosts the business. They are practicing what they teach others by serving up coffee, food and (business) deals!

Photo Credit: Suffolk News-Herald