Alexandra Kay‘s cofee shop is officially open! The Coffee Girl is open in Kay’s hometown of Waterloo, Illinois, a full-circle moment for an artist who became known The Coffee Girl five years ago when she would sing covers of country music classics while making her coffee.
“It was always my dream, ever since those videos went viral, that one day I’m going to open up my own shop,” Kay tells Sauce.
The Coffee Girl is located where Kay’s former favorite coffee shop, Bean Tree Café, once was, and where some of her favorite memories are held.
“I used to live in the apartment building right next door, and I never left town without going to Bean Tree with my sisters and having lunch or breakfast.” But even Kay couldn’t have ever dreamed that her own The Coffee Girl would be in the same location where Bean Tree used to be.
The “Cupid’s a Cowgirl” singer reveals she went to the owners, Jay and Lisa, for advice about opening her own place, and was blown away when they offered to sell Bean Tree instead, after 17 years in operation.
“It was the perfect fit. I got my dream location [was able to] help my friends retire,” Kay says.
The Coffee Girl is classic Kay, swathed in pink, and boasting her own signature touches.
View this post on Instagram
“I want people to walk in and feel the brand – even if they don’t know who I am,” she shares.
The Coffee Girl comes as Kay’s career is also soaring to new heights. She is joining Brad Paisley for select dates on his Truck Still Works Tour, as well as headlining her own shows. She is also working on a new album, the follow-up to her honest and vulnerable debut, All I’ve Ever Known, out in 2023. The record is Kay’s first on BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville.
“It will definitely be out by the end of the year,” Kay tells Entertainment-Focus. “In a couple of months you guys will start hearing more about the actual details of it. The writing is all done, and so anything that I write now will be saved for something like a deluxe version or maybe even the next record – who knows.”
Kay built a large – and growing – fan base, thanks to her honesty on All I’ve Ever Known, about her heartbreaking divorce. Now, Kay is in a much different place emotionally. Still, she vows to keep being transparent in her music, even if her feelings aren’t the same.
“It changed my whole life,” Kay says of All I’ve Ever Known. “It not only gave me an outlet to process my feelings and all the crazy things I was going through at that time, but it also took my relationship with my fans to another level and enabled us to get to know each other in personal ways. … No matter what the record does from here on out I think we created something really special and I’m so proud of it.”
As for The Coffee Girl, it’s how Kay is able to thank and honor her hometown.
“This is how I give back,” Kay says. “I want people to keep coming home and I want to make Waterloo proud.”
The Coffee Girl is located at 219 South Main Street in Waterloo, Illinois. Find all of Kay’s music and upcoming shows at AlexandraKayOfficial.com.