By MDA Staff Writer | October 23, 2026
By MDA Staff Writer | October 23, 2026
CLEVELAND, Miss. — A building once used to serve motorists found a different purpose when Eddie and Daye Vaughn opened Mississippi Grounds: serving people looking for coffee, a meal and a place to pause.
The Cleveland business occupies a former service station across from the courthouse on South Court Street. According to its website, Mississippi Grounds opened January 3, 2011, after the Vaughns recognized an opportunity for a downtown coffee shop.
That beginning gives the business a story beyond what is poured into a cup. A vacant building became a working storefront again, connecting an older piece of Cleveland with a new daily use.
Situated between downtown and the Delta State University campus, Mississippi Grounds describes itself as a place for morning coffee, reading or lunch with friends. Its breakfast, lunch and dessert offerings give customers several reasons to stop during the day.
The drink menu carries a touch of regional identity. The Cotton Boll latte combines white chocolate and caramel, while the Turtle blends chocolate, caramel and butter pecan. Customers can also choose brewed coffee, espresso, cappuccino and other familiar coffeehouse drinks.
For those who prefer something without coffee, the posted menu includes hot chocolate, chai, tea and apple cider with caramel and cinnamon. Several specialty coffee drinks are available hot or iced.
Food is another part of the shop’s appeal. Cleveland’s tourism dining guide lists pastries, breakfast and lunch items, along with house-smoked barbecue on Tuesdays and Thursdays while supplies last. The guide also identifies the shop as a place to meet friends or sit with coffee and a newspaper.
Mississippi Grounds’ transformation offers a simple example of local entrepreneurship: seeing potential in an unused space and giving people a reason to walk through its doors again.
Visit Mississippi Grounds
219 S. Court St., Cleveland, MS 38732
Phone: 662-545-4528
Posted hours: Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–2 p.m.
Website: mississippigrounds.com
Photo Credit: Mississippi Grounds FB
Source: Mississippi Grounds website