A.G. Gaston Motel coffee shop upgrading, here is how you can help

Here’s an opportunity to show your support for a beloved local business — and maybe grab a cup of coffee while you’re at it. 

Alicia’s Coffee opened in February 2025 after the City of Birmingham Historic Preservation Authority began looking for someone to operate the coffee shop in the historic A.G. Gaston Motel.

This coffee shop, founded by Naimah Alicia Elmore and Rashad Harrell in 2020, is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and has become a fixture in the community for many locals, who praise the food and drinks at the spot on social media.

That means, when Labor Day rolled around this week, Elmore didn’t want to leave her customers hanging — even though it was her 42nd birthday.

Chanda Temple, a senior project manager for the city of Birmingham, took notice of Elmore’s hard work and posted about it on Facebook.

“Sometimes, it goes back to ‘What are you willing to sacrifice?’ Naimah said. “Are you willing to sacrifice being off on a holiday and just being at home? Or, can you get up, get out in the community and open up the doors?” 

Naimah Elmore via Chanda Temple on Facebook

The post brought attention to a fundraiser the coffee shop started in August to further improve their products for their clientele. 

“They are looking to meet greater demands of the public and bakers, which is why they want to get a larger oven. And by getting a larger espresso machine, they will be able to take the current machine on the road for pop-ups, and still have the larger one at the store.”

Chanda Temple on Facebook

In addition to the equipment necessary to run their shop, Alicia’s Coffee uses a portion of the proceeds from some drinks to help Birmingham students in need. High school students have the opportunity to land an internship at the coffee shop, as well.

Their fundraising goal is $8,000, and as of Sept. 1, they have raised $1,100.

Want to get them closer to their goal? Tap here to learn more about how to donate. 

About the motel

The A.G. Gaston Motel was a key meeting place during the Civil Rights Movement. Leaders like Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used Room 30 as the “War Room” during the Birmingham Campaign; in fact, it was there that MLK decided to defy a court injunction and be jailed alongside protesters — a move that led to his famous, “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

A.G. Gaston, the very man who built the motel in 1954, was a legendary Black entrepreneur. His motel is now the centerpiece of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, established in 2017 by President Barack Obama.

“Today when she unlocks the shop’s front door, she’ll do what she always does as she crosses the threshold: She’ll look to the right, where Gaston’s photo is. It’s like he’s looking on with approval.

“We want to continue the legacy,” she said. “One of my favorite sayings from him was, ‘Find a need and fill it.’ We try to do that every day.”

Chanda Temple on Facebook

Today, Alicia’s Coffee is guided by the principle that “Coffee is a connection” and aims to serve communities through organic, responsibly sourced coffee and acts of community service.

How will you support Alicia’s Coffee at the A.G. Gaston Motel? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know!