Meet Daphnie Kelly | Modern Grind Owner & Operator

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

Hi Daphnie, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am from Moses Lake, a small town in Washington State. I grew up on a farm, and hard work was everywhere I turned. My mom, grandma and several aunts and uncles owned small businesses, and of course there was the farm! My dad ran that and worked a regular job as well. I was born with drive, ambition and grit. I couldn’t deny the voice inside telling me I needed to do something “big!” Growing up, I would help my mom with her business and of course had to help on the farm. I loved numbers and business processes, so helping my mom was a lot of fun. Farm work gave me a love for nature and amplified the grit I was born with. Though farm work was NOT my favorite thing to do at the time, being a farm girl is who I am. I know hard work differently than others. Not better, but differently. If the work doesn’t get done, when it needs to get done, there’s no crop to sell. You don’t get to slack or push your work off to the next day. My upbringing impacts who I am to this day. It gets me out of bed every single day to go in to work, motivate our team and serve our community. I am a giver and a helper. It’s innate. I can’t deny that either.

What should our readers know about your business?
Modern Grind is everything I ever dreamed of. No part of developing this business was easy, but perseverance and drive got us through every hurdle. We are proud to have won some pretty prestigious awards in our young business life and plan to continue to make waves in the community! We opened during Covid. In fact, we signed the lease on the property two weeks before everything was shut down. To say we were worried is an understatement, but like everyone else… we had to move forward during the uncertainty regardless. We looked at it as a positive thing, as we made history by being the first Avondale business to do a live groundbreaking ceremony via social media, as things were currently shut down.

Modern Grind is a brand of perseverance, strength and honor. We work to provide the highest quality, local products with the best customer experience possible. Our mission is to help grow and develop youth programs and to support teachers financially with paying down their student loans and/or helping afford classroom supplies and materials. Modern Grind supports local law enforcement, first responders and teachers by offering a daily discount to these hard working service members. We also get the joy of bringing the community together with car shows, family events, themed events, fundraisers, participating in offsite community events and so much more. We are a coffee and health shop, so Modern Grind prides itself on providing fewer ingredient and cleaner, more natural products for our guests. For example, we serve an energy drink that comes from the green coffee bean, so it has natural caffeine and is served with a proper daily dose of caffeine with the consumer’s health in mind. I want the world to know that Modern Grind is here to make waves, to do big things for the community, and we are here to grow our baristas into strong employees or entrepreneurs and to encourage and support their growth in all their future endeavors.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We love doing all things local! First you’d have to start your day off with visiting Modern Grind for a yummy coffee and breakfast sandwich. We’d advise you check out Leo’s Tacos for lunch & pop back by Modern Grind for a refreshing iced tea & protein balls. Obviously, at this point you’d need a sweet treat, so you should definitely hit up Abbie Cakes bakery and try one of their delicious baked goodies. We always suggest Top Golf to our friends, as it is a comfortable and fun whether you golf or not. Shooter’s World is another cool experience! For dinner you MUST go to Augie’s in Goodyear. If you have kids, the Goodyear Recreational Park is awesome for kids.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow! Where to start… My parents and my husband have always believed in my dream of owning a coffee shop. So many people and programs have influenced Modern Grind’s success to include; mentors, vendors, friends, community support, SWVCC, help from city officials, SBA, SBDC, great books, leadership podcasts, our employees and more. However, my parents, husband and my kids have sacrificed so much over the years to support my dream. My husband has worked LONG, HARD hours in extreme heat in support of my dream, and he keeps doing it too!! My parents watch our kids all the time. It’s the best, because we know they are happy, loved and well fed allowing us to focus on the work! Our daughter is 6 and has been “working” in the store since we opened. Mostly, enjoying her time with the really cool baristas! My family continues to cheer me on every day!

Website: moderngrindcoffee.com

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Yelp: Modern Grind