Daily Inspiration: Meet Virginia Alexander

Today we’d like to introduce you to Virginia Alexander.

Hi Virginia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Rokabilly Coffee opened its doors in late August of 2021. Virginia Alexander and Susan Solimine started out as a mother daughter team thinking they would be just a small-town business with a few customers per day. They didn’t realize how much the community wanted them here, and it wasn’t too long before they hired a few employees. Today they have seven employees in addition to them.

Susan was born and raised in Grass Valley, California. She met her husband Jerry in 1972 in San Francisco while he was serving in the U.S. Navy. They have three children and three grandchildren. Jerry and Susan love to sip coffee on their front porch while watching the wildlife and enjoy attending antique car shows. In 1994, the Solimines moved to Smith County, TN in hopes of finding a slower pace.

Susan learned to bake from her mother who shared the importance of a homemade dinner and dessert with her family. She remembers making chocolate chip cookies for the first time and mixing everything all together at once. She lifted the beaters out of the bowl and dough splattered all over the ceiling. Since then her baking has improved, but the mess is still questionable.

Virginia was also born in Grass Valley and was 7 when the family moved across country. After graduating high school in 2005 she swore she would never return to Smith County. She had high hopes of moving to Colorado or NYC. However, after attending MTSU and living in Murfreesboro for 7 years, she realized the importance of a small community and decided to move home. The positive impact of everyone knowing everyone outweighed the idea of moving away, so she bought a house in Lancaster, TN. She fell in love with her best friend Billy Jack Alexander (another long story) and they got married in 2018. They now reside in New Middleton with their sweet pups Buddy Roo and Hawkeye. They love camping, kayaking, hiking, and traveling during their free time.

Virginia always dreamed of seeing a coffee shop in the downtown area of Carthage. She was fascinated with downtown areas and was fortunate enough to work in downtown development for 6 years at the Upper Cumberland Development District.

Susan has always shared her love of baking with the people in her life from cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, orange rolls on Easter morning, and home-made candy trays delivered to teachers and friends at Christmas.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We have been extremely blessed with great employees. Considering that we didn’t think we would need employees, we ended up hiring friends and family who were willing and available to help. It wasn’t too long before we realized we needed more help. We currently have 7 amazing employees.

There have definitely been long days, scheduling conflicts (because we do try to remain a small team), ordering issues due to COVID and price increases, and construction delays not only in the beginning but now during the Hotel Walton renovations. Really though, none of those things have caused issues for our business. Our community has been amazing at supporting us, and we’ve had such great support from our employees and friends that things always seem to work out.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Virginia attended MTSU for photography and communications and graduated in 2009, at the height of the recession. Since there weren’t many jobs available, she took a job at Jozoara Coffee Shop and fell in love with coffee even more. She became more aware of the experience around coffee versus just the drink itself. Coffee shops are often the heart of communities, and she knew then it was something she would always love.

After a few years working in Murfreesboro, she decided to attend TTU for secondary education and along the way found herself volunteering in the community she swore she would never move back to. As she became more involved with projects in Smith County, she connected with the Upper Cumberland Development District and became a Community Development Planner there for 7 years which taught her more about business than she even realized at the time.

Susan worked at Rackley Roofing Company for 25 years and told Virginia she’d be a baker if they ever opened a coffee shop. Her love language has always been food. There was always dinner on the table at 6pm and usually a homemade dessert available. Susan also loved cooking for other people whether it be for a funeral or her famous Christmas candy.

Virginia and Susan often talked about opening the business. They even bought their water dispenser about 10 years ago in hopes to see the dream come to reality. They looked at multiple buildings over the years and even considered a food truck until their husbands reminded them they don’t know how to pull a trailer.

So, when the pandemic hit in 2020 Virginia found time to finally create a business plan. She wanted to see if this dream could be a reality one day, and shockingly things lined up to make it happen. A building became available and all signs pointed to yes to move forward and create RoKaBilly Coffee.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Virginia and Susan want people to feel at home in their shop. They’ve created a space that they hope is warm and welcoming and invites you to sit down for a minute. They restored the space back to its original beauty exposing the original ceiling, brick walls, chimney, and transom windows above the storefront. Susan’s cinnamon rolls fill the back alley and the store with a glorious aroma every day, and the coffee beans are fresh ground for every drink. Local art is hung on the walls by a new artist each month, and a mural in the back created by local artists in celebration of Rokabilly’s business loan payoff reminds us “There’s No Place Like Home.”

We really believe that everyone is welcome, and I think that shows when you walk in and see the dining room full of people. It truly is a place for everyone, and I think our community really needed that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rokabillycoffee.com
• Instagram: rokabilly_coffee
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RokaBillyCoffee/