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 har

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