Morning Grind, a local coffee shop favored by GCSU students and families in Milledgeville, Georgia, had a grand reopening for its expansion on Aug. 14. Within minutes of opening, the coffee shop had a line out the door of excited students.
Morning Grind announced on Instagram July 24 that they would reopen their coffee shop on Aug. 14, 2025. Fans liked and shared the post and were eager to see Morning Grind’s new layout.
Aug. 14 came, and Morning Grind had plenty to share with everyone. Fresh sourdough, flowers, clothing, plants, giveaways, live music and ribbon cutting were activities enjoyed by GCSU students and locals.
Before the expansion, Morning Grind had limited seating inside and outside.
Therefore, the expansion was huge for the business and has increased the number of patrons interested in the coffee shop. Over the last few weeks, Morning Grind’s staff has enjoyed welcoming familiar and new faces back to their shop.
“I have loved working at Morning Grind,” said Alyssa Marie, a manager at Morning Grind. “It can be stressful during busy times, but it makes my day seeing smiling faces walking in and out.”
Morning Grind’s expansion has continued to sell artisan baked breads, plants and merchandise. Introducing these additions has opened better revenue for the Morning Grind staff and business as well.
Customers have been enjoying these new additions ever since the reopening. Morning Grind’s Instagram and Facebook have featured announcements of baked goods and merchandise restocks.
A few days after the expansion, Morning Grind announced an expansion menu via Instagram and Facebook. This menu is still available and features some new coffee, tea and refresher creations.
“I am so proud of Morning Grind’s expansion. I am currently drinking the Oh Honey drink, featured on their expansion menu. It is a honey, vanilla and cinnamon shaken espresso with oat milk,” said Arianna Basille, a sophomore philosophy major.
Customers of Morning Grind also recognize the staff’s hard work. Morning Grind’s Facebook and Instagram accounts captured the painting and organizing behind the scenes for customers to keep up with the expansion process.
“A benefit of the expansion is that it offers plenty more tables for students and families to dine and chat,” said Dorie McKown, a junior management major.
Morning Grind’s staff has seen how the expansion has brought more of the Milledgeville community together. They are incredibly excited to see how Morning Grind continues to thrive in the near future.
“I come to Morning Grind many times during the week, and I always run into someone I know. Yesterday I ran into my friend Paige, and we had an amazing time catching up together,” said Delaney Derry, a senior English major.
Morning Grind’s owners, Bridgette and Jared Smith, have been very involved throughout the expansion process. Both are normally at Milledgeville’s location once a week and made a special appearance at the grand reopening.
Bridgette has also shared individual Instagram posts with her followers about her excitement over how far Morning Grind has come since the beginning. Her posts are filled with smiles, regular customers and her employees at Morning Grind.
Overall, Morning Grind has been a Milledgeville favorite since its opening in Oct. 2022. Its expansion marks another chapter in a journey defined by loyal customers and a growing community presence.
