Corner Coffee: 20 Years of Community, Connection, and Coffee on the Corner
On any given morning at Corner Coffee, you’ll find a familiar scene: friends catching up over iced lattes, a group of regulars settled into their usual seats, a young mom balancing a baby and a coffee cup, and someone new studying the menu, deciding whether today is the day to try something a little different. It’s busy, it’s welcoming—and it feels like home.
That feeling is no accident. For owners Madison and Kaylea Coates, Corner Coffee was never meant to be just a place to grab a drink. As the shop celebrates its 20th anniversary, it stands as a reminder that some of the most important places in a community are the ones that invite people to stay awhile.
Both Madison and Kaylea share a deep love for coffee, shaped by time spent in other cities where coffee shops were central to daily life. When they moved back to West Monroe, they felt drawn to bring that same sense of culture and connection home—but in a way that honored what already existed.
We wanted to be a part of elevating coffee here in West Monroe… but we didn’t want to create something new. We wanted to elevate and revive something that the community already loved, which was Corner Coffee for the last 20 years.Kaylea
That mindset carried into one of their biggest—and boldest—decisions: moving the shop to a new location. The timeline was tight. The previous owners closed on a Friday. Madison and Kaylea opened the new Corner Coffee just two days later.
The transition became a full community effort, with friends and family jumping in to clean, paint, build tables, and prepare the space for opening day.
“It was a really hard decision,” Kaylea said. “I was scared… What if people don’t show up our first day?”
But they did show up — and they’ve kept showing up.
The new location brought a brighter, more open space that matched the vision Madison and Kaylea had from the start. Today, Corner Coffee feels intentionally designed for gathering. Small groups meet here. Board meetings happen here. Bible studies, business conversations, and everyday catch-ups all unfold under the same roof.
“We love people and we want people in West Monroe to have places in West Monroe to meet,” Kaylea said. “We love being a part of people’s story.”
That sense of connection stretches across generations. Longtime regulars who have been coming to Corner Coffee since the early days still sit in familiar spots. High school students stop by for acai bowls and iced lattes. Parents bring their kids. Some customers have even met their future spouses here.
Corner Coffee’s creativity shows up not just in the space, but in the menu. The popular “Drink of the Week” specials grew out of customer ideas and a desire to keep things fun and flexible.
“It really kind of started whenever we would have customers come up with their own combinations,” Madison said. “Some of these have become some of our staple drinks now as signature drinks.”
While the drinks draw people in, the relationships are what keep them coming back. Over the years, Madison and Kaylea have witnessed moments that remind them why they chose this path — including watching employees grow and rebuild their lives.
“Just to know that we got to be a part of her story, helping her get her feet on the ground — that’s why we do what we do,” Kaylea said.
As Corner Coffee reaches its 20-year milestone, the celebration feels deeply personal. It’s a reminder of the owners who came before them, the customers who have supported the shop for decades, and the community that continues to believe in local.
Knowing that this business has been around for 20 years is a testament to not only those who went before us, but also this community. They are the reason Corner has made it this far and will continue to.Madison
Corner Coffee will celebrate its anniversary with a community event later this month, complete with specials, giveaways, and family-friendly fun — a fitting way to honor both the past and what’s ahead.
Looking forward, Madison and Kaylea remain focused on what matters most: consistency, creativity, and connection.
As they like to say,
Local is just around the corner.
