A childhood spent between the bustle of Atlanta and the quiet backroads of Clarendon County has come full circle for Monique Landrum, whose new venture — Manning Coffee Company — is built on the smells, stories and soil of her family’s Manning roots.
Landrum, who now lives in Los Angeles, grew up in Georgia but calls Manning “part of my makeup,” a place woven into her earliest memories. Both sides of her family trace back generations here: her father, Michael Bosier, graduated from Manning High School in the early 1970s, and her mother, Cynthia Waiters Bosier, graduated later that decade. Summers meant long drives north, family reunions, and time with her grandmother, Josephine Waiters, on her stretch of land in Clarendon County.
“She had animals, a garden, a chicken coop — we helped her tend everything,” Landrum said. “Family lived up and down the same road. That closeness, the space, the food… it’s all part of who I am.”
But what she remembers most is the coffee.
“Anytime you walked into her house, you could smell a pot of coffee on the stove,” she said. “She brewed it old-school, in boiling water on the stove, and that aroma became the signal: it’s a new day, time to get moving. Coffee was part of our conversations, our time together. Those were special moments.”
Josephine died in 2005, but her influence sits at the heart of Landrum’s new business. One of her most popular blends — Josephine’s Brew — is named in her honor.
“It’s bold but smooth, just like her,” Landrum said. “That brew reminds me of her spirit.”
FROM IDEA TO BRAND
Landrum’s path to becoming a coffee entrepreneur wasn’t linear. She followed a traditional route — Lovejoy High School, then Georgia Southern University — and worked continually through high school and college. Coffee, she said, quickly became her “productivity ritual.”
After marrying entertainment journalist Jonathan Landrum Jr. and relocating to Los Angeles in 2018, she found herself drinking more coffee than ever — and spending more than she wanted to. When the pandemic hit and she was home with a newborn, the idea of creating her own brand resurfaced with new urgency.
“I needed a positive outlet. I also realized I was spending a lot on coffee,” she said with a laugh. “But more than that, I had a genuine interest in the bean, the process, everything. I wanted to learn it, not just drink it.”
By 2020 she was studying roasting, exploring suppliers and developing flavors. She launched Manning Coffee Company in 2024 — a name chosen after a long list of more “trendy” contenders.
“Manning stayed at the top of the list every time,” she said. “It was the way to honor my ancestors — the sacrifices they made, the education they pushed for, the work ethic they passed down. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”
WHAT’S BREWING
Her lineup includes eight medium-roast blends — all available in ground bags and several in recyclable K-cups. Customer favorites include:
All flavors are offered in regular and decaf, with 8-ounce and 16-ounce bags available.
But even as the brand grows in California, Landrum is looking homeward. After debuting the coffee at a family reunion last summer, relatives urged her to bring Manning Coffee Company “back home.”
“I would love to have it carried by shops in Manning and throughout Clarendon County,” she said. “That’s the dream — to see Manning Coffee in the place that inspired it.”
CONTINUING A LEGACY
Landrum credits her husband for hauling equipment and taste-testing her experimental lattes, but it’s her five-year-old daughter, Jada, who seems most eager to inherit the business.
“She helps me do inventory — it’s her learning numbers,” Landrum said. “She tells people about Manning Coffee all the time. She’s even come up with her own brand idea: Manning Popcorn Company,” she added, laughing. “I told her we might need to trademark that.”
Landrum envisions Manning Coffee Co. expanding through storefront partnerships and, eventually, a fleet of mobile coffee carts located in Los Angeles, Atlanta and — one day — Manning.
“For me, this is about legacy,” she said. “My grandmother introduced me to coffee. My ancestors built a life in Manning that allowed the rest of us to thrive. This business is my way of honoring them and ensuring that story continues.”
Manning Coffee Company products and the story behind the brand can be found at manningcoffee.com.
