Welcome to Business Acceleration at 934 Selby
The construction of the I-94 highway destroyed more than 300 predominantly Black-owned businesses. We recognize that the creation, retention and growth of BIPOC-owned businesses is essential to revitalizing the Selby corridor, creating avenues for community wealth, and reestablishing Rondo as an African American commercial district and cultural destination.
Golden Thyme Presents
As Mychael and Stephanie Wright moved toward retirement after establishing and operating Golden Thyme Coffee & Cafe for nearly 25 years, we worked with them to create an innovative approach to steward their legacy and grow their brand.
With the purchase of Golden Thyme, Rondo Community Land Trust is:
Transitioning 934 Selby Avenue into “Golden Thyme Presents,” a business accelerator for Black- and community-owned businesses
Establishing a new Golden Thyme Coffee & Cafe at its business incubator at 856 Selby Avenue (opening in 2024)
Working to transition the business to a multi-stakeholder cooperative so more local residents can benefit!
Who’s featured at Golden Thyme Presents?
Debuting in October 2023, the coffee shop space at 934 Selby Avenue has been transformed into Golden Thyme Presents to provide opportunities for BIPOC restaurateurs and food vendors to establish or grow their businesses on an interim basis. We’re excited to welcome Sammy’s Avenue Eatery and Gravy Babies as the first businesses featured at “Golden Thyme Presents!”
Frequently asked questions
Sammy’s Avenue Eatery features fresh, feels-like-home sandwiches, wraps and soups and will be open Mondays-Friday from 8am to 3pm. Learn more and order catering
Gravy Babies features soul food from the heart of Rondo and will be open Saturday and Sundays from 11am to 6pm. Learn more and order catering
Yes! We’re building out a commercial space at the corner of Victoria and Selby where the future Golden Thyme Coffee & Cafe will be located and open in 2024!
In the meantime, though, we’re working toward turning Golden Thyme into a multi-stakeholder cooperative ownership model that can expand the iconic St. Paul business while also providing new and ongoing opportunities for income generation and wealth creation for the broader community.
To that end, we’re collaborating with Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD) to develop the bylaws and other frameworks to ensure the longevity and success of Golden Thyme’s transition to a multi-stakeholder cooperative.
If you’re from the Rondo community and interested in being a cooperative owner, please send us an email at rondo@rondoclt.org with the subject line RONDO COOPS and include your contact information.
We get it! We loved the food at Golden Thyme, too! While we’re excited to share Sammy’s and Gravy Babies delicious offerings, special events for original menu items are being explored and will be announced on our Facebook page. In the meantime, let us know your favorite and most-missed items in this short survey!
