Sip Down, Bee Humble: New Coffee Spot in Water Valley Blends Family, Fellowship

By Carson McKinney
Hottytoddy.com intern

Mother and daughter team Sarah Stone and Maggie Richardson opened Humble Bee Café—located at 405 N Main St—on Oct. 6 in Water Valley. Richardson said the name Humble Bee has two layers of meaning.

“My dad called me ‘Honeybee’ when I was little,” Richardson said. “He told me I was always buzzing around making the world sweeter. We lost him in 2014, and we wanted him to be a big part of it, so I combined that with my favorite Bible verse, ‘Be humble and kind.’ I’ve always thought at my core that was what everyone could really strive for.”

Over the last month, Richardson has gotten up early Monday through Saturday to make beignets and espressos for an increasing number of regulars. Richardson worked at Starbucks for three-and-a-half years before opening Humble Bee and said customer connection was then, and still is, the most rewarding part of the job.

“It’s so easy to make someone’s day over a cup of coffee,” Richardson said. “When you learn their name and learn their drink, they get so excited. It makes them feel special, and that’s my favorite part.”

A Water Valley resident for eight years, Richardson remains connected to her small-town by supporting fellow local businesses.

“Our milk that we make all of our drinks with comes from Brown Family Dairy up in Oxford,” Richardson said. “Our beans are roasted in Flowood by Prodigy Roasters, Trusty Diner down the street bakes our pastries for us, and our paper cups are delivered by Panola Paper Company. Anything we can get locally, we try to because we know what it’s like to be a small business.”

Humble Bee offers two signature bee-themed drinks: a honey latte and a honey and cocoa cold brew. Richardson also recommends the Affogato, which she said Humble Bee makes “the way it’s supposed to be done.”

“At Starbucks they do it, but it’s like whipped cream on top of a drink,” Richardson said. “Traditionally, it’s a shot of espresso poured on top of vanilla ice cream. It’s more like a dessert than anything else, but it’s really good.”

Mother and Daughter team Sarah Stone and Maggie Richardson opened Humble Bee Café—located at 405 N Main St—on Oct. 6 in Water Valley. Richardson said the name Humble Bee has two layers of meaning. Photo via Humble Bee Cafe’s Facebook.

Humble Bee Café also doubles as an Airbnb, which offers two rooms. One has a king-size bed and a clawfoot bathtub; the other has a queen-size bed and a shower.

“We’ve been booked out every weekend since we opened,” Richardson said. “We’re booked out through Nov. 24 right now.”

Only one month into her new business, Richardson is unsure of the future of Humble Bee, but she has high hopes for the café and the brand.

“I’d love for it to just become a Main Street staple more than anything else,” Richardson said. “I’m not sure about franchising or anything like that. That would be way farther down the road. Mom and I have talked about expanding our brand because she’s into beauty products and natural beauty products.”

Humble Bee Cafe is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is closed on Sundays.

For more information on the new Water Valley business, visit their Facebook page.