Boo Freeman’s beach life started when he moved from Lafayette, Louisiana, to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, running a beach chair rental service, and making his own chairs, paddleboards, and umbrellas. “It’s my church,” Freeman said of his connection to the beach, “I pray every day there. It relaxes you. People are down there, and they’re relaxed, so you get to talk and communicate way better than in the stressful life of an office. It’s just good vibes.”
His pursuit to offer a place for people to enjoy coffee, cocktails, and great food, in a fun atmosphere, came to fruition in 2013 when he opened Sunrise Coffee Co. Café and Cantina in Destin, Florida. “We originally bought it to promote the beach chairs, then the coffee started taking off, and we put the beach chairs to the side,” Freeman explained. “It just evolved.” Before he knew it, Freeman and his crew were selling locally sourced Amavida Coffee at “the funkiest little coffee shop on 30A.” At Sunrise, it’s all good vibes all the time, where you can grab everything from a mimosa to an egg wrap.
The good vibes arrived last year in Youngsville, La., (about 10 miles from Lafayette) on Memorial Day weekend, when Freeman opened Sunrise Coffee Co. in his native land. The coffee shop is nestled in Youngsville’s Sugar Mill Pond — a traditional village-style neighborhood of shops, stores, parks, and an eight-acre recreational pond. While not the beach, the location keeps the café near the waterfront. “People can walk the pond, get an ice cream for their kids, grab a beer, hang out,” he said. “There’s nothing else around here like it.”
You can’t help but be happy sitting inside Sunrise. The colors are vibrant, the staff friendly, and the relaxed atmosphere, all add to the ambiance that Freeman set out to create. “It’s feel-good, beachy, laid-back, good music, good food…we don’t want to be a Starbucks. We wanted something different.”
And they’ve succeeded. In addition to java and adult drinks, grab breakfast or lunch, sip a smoothie, and indulge in sweet treats like ice cream, donuts, classic candy, or a Slush Puppie. The restaurant is decorated with beach décor — art and surfboards — and you can shop for shirts, coffee mugs, and tumblers. Freeman travels between Lafayette and Florida, where he also attends to his other business, Sunrise Chair Co., featuring his line of beach chairs, umbrellas and side tables.