Formerly Incarcerated Woman Launches Coffee Shop to Uplift Her Community

After facing the challenges of finding stable employment due to her criminal record, Claudia Shivers has turned her life around by becoming the proud owner of Queen Coffee Bean, a thriving coffee shop in High Point, North Carolina.

Shivers, 49, who was incarcerated for nearly a year for a non-violent offense, now channels her energy into building her business and fostering community, hoping to create opportunities for others facing similar obstacles.

Inspired by the warmth of her grandmother Queen Esther’s kitchen, Shivers has made Queen Coffee Bean a welcoming and cozy space.

The shop’s menu is filled with creative espresso flavors like Ethiopian cinnamon buttercream and chocolate cherry, while its atmosphere is relaxed, inviting customers to linger over board games and conversations.

Shivers’ goal is to recreate the comfort of home with each cup of coffee she serves.

Shivers’ journey began after her release from prison in 2020, where she struggled to find work. Despite taking a 4 a.m. shift at Starbucks, she knew she wanted more.

With limited options due to her record, she took a bold step toward entrepreneurship, launching Queen Coffee Bean in August 2020.

Her early efforts included roasting coffee beans using a popcorn maker, driven by limited resources but unwavering determination. Today, Queen Coffee Bean generates around $2,500 a month in revenue, though the amount varies.

Shivers’ story is not unique. According to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly one-third of formerly incarcerated individuals remain unemployed four years after their release.

The Prison Policy Initiative reports that those who do find work earn significantly less than the general population. For Shivers, the turning point was enrolling in the Inmates to Entrepreneurs program, a nonprofit offering business training to individuals with criminal records.

Through the program’s eight-week course, Shivers gained skills in sales, marketing, accounting, and customer service, which helped her craft her business plan and build confidence.

The support and training from Inmates to Entrepreneurs empowered Shivers to scale her business from selling roasted coffee beans to opening a brick-and-mortar shop. She also gives back by serving on the organization’s board, where she mentors other formerly incarcerated individuals looking to start their own businesses.

Shivers told Business Insider that entrepreneurship is about resilience and investing in community:

“Being an inmate was a small part of my story. I’m an entrepreneur, and I want to help others see that they can be too.”

Queen Coffee Bean is intentionally located in a low-income neighborhood in High Point, where Shivers sees an opportunity to provide jobs and create a sense of belonging in an underserved area.

As her business grows, Shivers remains focused on the mission of spreading love—through coffee, community, and care.

“The foundation of everything we do is love: you’re gonna love this drink, you’ve gotta love yourself, and you’ve gotta love other people,” she says.