GARDINE WILSON IS OWNER OF CHARLOTTE’S HISTORICAL COFFEE CUP RESTAURANT, WHICH HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 63 YEARS IN CHARLOTTE. SINCE PURCHASING THE RESTAURANT IN 2003, GARDINE AND HIS STAFF HAVE SERVED OVER 900,000 ORGANIC MEALS TO ITS DEVOTED PATRONS. GARDINE IS FROM OMAHA, NEBRASKA AND WAS RAISED SIX BLOCKS FROM MALCOLM X’S BIRTHSITE. AT OMAHA CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL HE WAS RECOGNIZED LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY FOR HIS PARTICPATION IN TRACK AND FIELD AND BASKETBALL.

HE RECEIVED HIS BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND LATER PURSUED HIS MASTERS DEGREE IN FINANCE WHILE LIVING IN DENVER COLORADO.

AT THE AGE OF 29, GARDINE PURCHASED A RESTAURANT BUILDING IN THE HEART OF AN IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITY IN OMAHA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THIRTEEN YEARS LATER, GARDINE OWNS AND MANAGES A BUSINESS THAT GIVES X-FELONS, COLLEGE & CULINARY GRADUATES, HOMELESS PERSONS, BIG MOMMAS, BIG POPPAS, AND INDIVIDUALS WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES AN OPPORTUNITY TOWARDS A BETTER LIFE. GARDINE’S COMMITMENT IS ASSISTING THE CONNECTION OF PEOPLE WITH GOD’S PURPOSE FOR THEIR LIVES.

HE HAS BEEN A NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON FOR THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE IN GRASSROOTS COMMUNITIES (AFRICAN AMERICAN, LATINO, SUDANESE, INDIA, ASIAN, AMERICAN INDIAN, ETC.)THE GOAL WAS ESTABLISHING PARTNERSHIPS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE CENSUS 2000 PROJECT. SINCE 1992, GARDINE HAS ALSO COORDINATED A YOUNG MEN’S MENTORING PROGRAM WITH 2ND THROUGH 5TH GRADERS. HE IS ALSO AN AVID URBAN JAZZ MUSIC FAN; AND HE BLENDS MUSIC, FOOD AND CULTURE AT HIS ESTABLISHMENT.

IN 1947 THE ORIGINAL COFFEE CUP WAS ESTABLISHED AND HOLDS THE DISTINCTION AS ONE OF THE FIRST INTEGRATED RESTAURANTS IN THE SOUTHEAST. PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, RACIAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS SIT NEXT TO EACH OTHER OVER HOT “ORGANIC” MEALS IN A WARM ATMOSPHERE - SHARING STORIES WITH EACH OTHER. THE “CUP” IS LISTED AS ONE OF CHARLOTTE’S NOSTALGIC TREASURES AND HAS WON NUMEROUS CULINARY AWARDS FOR FOOD QUALITY AND THE OLD FASHIONED SOUTHERN HOSPITABLE EXPERIENCE. THE COFFEE CUP HAS ALSO BEEN FEATURED NATIONALLY ON THE FOOD NETWORK, TRAVEL CHANNEL, ESSENCE MAGAZINE, BLACK ENTERPRISE MAGAZINE, AS WELL AS TOM JOYNER’S MORNING SHOW, YOLANDA ADAMS RADIO BROADCAST, WARREN BALLANTINE AND AL SHARPTON’S SYNDICATED PROGRAM.

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