Founders
Monique Kitchen
It all started with a vision. And from the very beginning, that vision was Monique's. It was a love for coffee and a dream for a shop in Greensboro that would inspire three other women to jump on board with Monique and give life to what would become The Stable. After growing up as an Air Force brat and traveling across the Southeast for much of her young life, Monique's family settled in Birmingham. A mother of four, she always wanted to live in a small town, later moved to Greensboro, and would spend years working at a local vet clinic, where she met Sheri and shared with her a vision for a coffee shop on Main Street in Greensboro. Monique has always loved the idea of a local space where a tightly knit community can spend time relaxing and enjoying the community of friends and family. Her passion for The Stable went into every detail and she pines diligently for perfection as her dream comes closer and closer to realization. It's never been about the money or expansion for her. It's about her love for Greensboro and her love for the other three women who saw potential in her dream. She feels honored to have to opportunity to provide for Greensboro a place where all are welcome and accepted for who they are. For Monique, she says she will feel successful when she looks around the coffee shop and sees people listening to music, enjoying the food and coffee, and soaking in the environment. It's the place she always envisioned it to be and as those doors open for service each morning, it is Monique's dream come true.
Sheri Chapman
After growing up in Lexington, Kentucky and spending over eleven years in the horse industry, Sheri Chapman and her husband, Jeff, moved to Greensboro five years ago to purchase the veterinary clinic they have owned ever since. It was there that she met her friend Monique, started a family with her now three year old son, John-Walker, and fell in love with the town. It was Monique's love and passion for coffee and Sheri's vision for a great vibe, food, and drink right there on Main Street that originally kindled an idea that would take shape as The Stable. Sheri references "Main Street Live", a gathering of community, a celebration of coming together and local pride that took place in Lexington and lights up as she dreams of bringing some of that flair to Greensboro. She is inspired by the thought of seeing "the whole town come alive" and playing a part in seeing Monique's long-time dream come true. She smiles to talk about the numerous volunteers that have already come forward to pitch in on the project saying, "We could have done a lot of things differently, cheaper. But, we wanted to do it right and everyone is seeing what we are doing. They just want to be a part of it." Her goal was to create a space that brings the blend of good food and drink with a sense of community, an idea that contributed to every small design and detail as The Stable began to take shape. When asked what she would consider to be success, Sheri smiled and simply said, "I just hope everyone loves it as much as we do."
Leah Drury
Leah Drury grew up just down the road from Main Street on a catfish and cattle farm in the heart of Hale County. She always dreamed of playing basketball at Alabama and walked on before earning a scholarship each of her final three seasons. From there, Leah had a successful coaching career that led through Pensacola and eventually ended off as an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm of the WNBA. However, after leaving coaching, Leah followed a calling back home to Greensboro. Without an idea of what she would do for work, she moved faithfully. And after seeing a need for a modern fitness and work-out space in town, Leah opened her personal training studio on Main Street. It was there, blessed with an overflowing customer-base from the moment the doors opened, that Leah met Sheri. Sheri soon shared with her an idea for a local coffee shop centered around supporting the community and helping Monique's dream come true. It didn't take long for Leah to jump on board with the idea and The Stable began construction in the storefront directly next door to her own business. She shares with the rest of the founders an overwhelming love for Greensboro, the community, and the people in it. There are no aspirations for second or third franchises, no bottom-line scrutiny for her. She's happy to proved opportunity for those who grew up and lived around her in the town that shaped her. She still smiles as she reflects on her time in coaching, traveling the country, working for the WNBA, but for Leah there is more to life. She wipes a tear from her eye, smiles as she looks up at the awning above the coffee shop, and says, "this is true success."
Lindsey Miller
"Don't get too far from your roots, your tree will fall down." Those are the words that Lindsey Miller grew up on and they are words that she would say have shaped her life more than any others. After growing up on Miller Catfish Farm close to Greensboro, Lindsey left on quite a journey away from home. Starting with college and then an opportunity with the Alabama restaurant concept, Zoe's Kitchen, that would take her across the southeast for the greater portion of a decade and a half. But, those who know Lindsey or grew up around her family know that she certainly has not forgotten her hometown. She can be seen frequenting Greensboro any time she has a chance to get back. She remembers growing up and playing sports with her childhood friend Leah, who would eventually introduce Lindsey to Monique and Sheri and their bold idea for a southern coffee pub on Greensboro's main street. It didn't take much convincing. Lindsey, who now lives in nearby Birmingham, remembers the town that raised her and dreams of bringing hope, opportunity, and good-old, homegrown passion to the place that gave her so much. Her strong West Alabama accent is still intact, as she talks about what the The Stable means to her. "It's about being involved in the community that raised me. These people molded that woman I am today, and I am forever grateful. We can boost the economy through local labor, bakers, produce, and coffee. We can make a difference." Even more than that, Lindsey dreams of putting a smile on every face that walks through the doors of The Stable. It's about the people that call her name and wave every time she walks down those streets she knows so well. It's about serving her Blackbelt community with a great cup of coffee and a hearty sandwich, with a large side of Southern hospitality. And yes, it's about getting back to her roots.