Bamenda Fresh and Bamenda Coffee are new to South Deering Manor, on the border of South Shore and Jeffrey Manor in Chicago. According to Leshey, with South Deering being the largest of the 77 official community areas of the city, Bamenda Fresh is set to satisfy a real need in the community and will bring quality products and value. 

Its shelves offer a full line of grocery items. Its hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday. 

Bamenda Coffee, according to its website, gives back to the community by investing in education for children who might be sick in the hospital and also through community education and helping out business entrepreneurs. 

The new coffee shop will have its own signature coffee blend--creating a special sense of identity with customers. Bamenda Coffee offers high-quality coffee beans that are sourced using a meticulous process. The beans are 100% Arabica and Robusta and are hand-picked to ensure their quality. 

The company offers coffee at reasonable prices and even provides delivery within 48 hours of roasting to ensure the freshest possible coffee experience. Customers can browse and shop for the best coffee beans online on the company's website.

Bamenda Fresh is a "full-service grocery store with dairy meat, produce, a full freezer section" and sells grocery, over the counter medications and medical supplies, the store said. 

The Bamenda Coffee shop will be launched within the grocery store by the end of this month, Leshey said. The grocery opened in October 2022, and Leshey said "we [were] embraced by the community borne out of the need by serving the underserved."

He said Bamenda Fresh and Bamenda Coffee are special as customers can be confident they can always get a fresh roasted coffee. In addition, the store offers fresh meat that can be cut according to a customer's size. They also carry special African groceries, and African beverages have their own section in the store. He said it's like a "bodega, but just a little different."

Leshey said Bamenda is unusual as it offers "friendly customer service." In addition, they have an online option for customers where they can purchase groceries, including their special African offerings, online. 

"We have high-quality products in an environment that is fair, welcoming for everyone," Leshey said. 

While Bamenda Fresh opened after the COVID-19 pandemic, its planned opening did face challenges as face-to-face meetings on its launch had to be online.

Bamenda Fresh, in a news release, wrote "grocery chains are abandoning communities of color and closing their doors" but it is its new store "opened in the inner city that is being welcomed by area residents."

"To tailor its offerings to align with the tastes and habits of the surrounding community, Felix [Leshey] assembled a team that invested considerable time meeting and connecting with the residents," the release noted. "At meetings they attended, they listened, observed and stocked their shelves with products that represented residents’ needs and wants." 

Aside from high-quality meats, fresh fruit and vegetables, Bamenda Fresh has a deli, frozen food department, toiletries and the new Bamenda Coffee kiosk set to open. Coffee and pastries can be ordered from that shop. 

Bamenda Fresh is looking to serve as a "hub for community enriching events. Most recently, it partnered with My Home Nurses to provide health screenings at the store. Its future plans include a community room for customers to meet, sit and relax.