Meet Kelley Johnston: Owner of Bread and Butter Bakery and Coffee

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelley Johnston and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelley, is there something you believe many others might not?
One piece of conventional advice that I disagree with is when people think timing is an issue. Many people say that you should wait until the “right time” to start a new business but I believe by waiting for the right time you miss out on what you could have achieved in the time that you were waiting to get started. I believe timing can be used as an excuse to put things off and not take the risk. When you actually are scared of not succeeding or being rejected. There will never be a perfect time to start a new business, take a risk, or learn a new skill. You just have to jump in and get started because no one can be sure of what our future holds. We will never know what we can achieve or how far we can go if we don’t take the first step and try.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I think our logo tells you everything about our business and who we are. We chose our logo because it represents “family” and we like to think that at Bread and Butter our community and our staff are our family. One of our customers described our place being the “living room of Covington” and that is probably the best compliment we could have ever received. We wanted to build a place where everyone felt comfortable and wanted to come, hang out and meet friends. Our community room is the home to our “take it and leave it library” that is filled completely with books donated from our community. When COVID hit we were all scared and not sure of what the future would hold, especially owning a small business. Our community supported us and came together to be sure that we would not only make it thru but grow! We would not be here without them it really taught me that our business is about people and coming together.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Our city is known as the “Hollywood of the South” so if you are a movie, TV or history buff than Covington is the place for you. We have Vampire Diaries, History and Ghost tours! We also offer a wide variety of places to eat that offer something for everyone’s taste. When you visit our Historic Downtown you can recognize it from many movies!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Bread and Butter would not be where it is today if it was not for my son and partner Zac Johnston. Without his vision and dedication we would never have grown to where we are today. We have transitioned from mother and son into an incredibly equal partnership. We operate in a dance where we are constantly balancing each other out. He sees my weakness and fills it with his strengths. He sees where I flourish and pushes me to explore those gifts more. With out Zac bread and butter simply would not be what it is today.

Website: breadandbutter.coffee

Instagram: bread and butter _ bakery

Facebook: Bread and Butter Covington

Yelp: Bread and Butter Covington

Image Credits
Ryan Pye