Meet David…
Friends are the siblings God never gave us.~ Mencius
See that handsome guy on the right with the megawatt smile? Let me tell you about him. (And, yep, that’s Jennifer Aniston at the far left.)
I will never forget the day D. David Morin strolled into our lives. It was a golden afternoon in Kenya, July 2011. Our family had been in the country since January, acclimating to a new culture, the kiswahili language, and all the things that make Africa my heart’s true north. A restaurant a few miles down the road had a great garden with a playground for kids, so we often ended up there several times a week. On this particular day, the owner grabbed us and said, “You’ve got an American compatriot here today. Want to meet him?” We approached a patio table to find a striking gent taking in his surroundings with quiet enjoyment. Then our friend introduced us, and David flashed a smile that will be imprinted on my brain until the day I die (and I am 100% sure I will spot it again in Heaven one day).
“D Dave” working on site in Kenya with the Massai tribe.
Before a few weeks had passed, “D Dave” (a nickname bestowed by another mutual friend) had become a fixture in our lives, as much a part of our family as if we had always known him—in the best possible way. David isn’t that annoying sibling you roll your eyes at or the embarrassing uncle who tells the same stale joke at every family reunion. David is a people investor. He is the guy who wants to hear your crazy idea, helps you pick it apart and tease out what will work and what will flop, then jumps in with boots on the ground to promote your plan and cheerlead you through every single step. His investment in Coffee Corner has been the latest in a line of projects going back a decade, and I want to take the time to showcase what a stellar human being he is.
Because Coffee Corner wouldn’t be happening without D. David Morin—actor, film producer, director, editor, and the dearest brother from another mother I could ever have.
David with Bill Paxton on the set of “The Game Changers.”
While living in Nairobi, we decided to start a bakery to create job opportunities for women, who often struggle the most to find and keep work. American-style cinnamon rolls didn’t exist in the city at that time, and “Mama’s Oven” became the first woman-owned, woman-run bakery producing those sweet confections. And who made the video to showcase the bakery? D Dave, of course!
When we left Kenya in 2014, we handed the business over to our head baker, “Zippy,” who continued to run it successfully for many years. We are so proud of her and her crew.
My husband started an educational charity featuring LEGO (TM) bricks, and it is still going strong in schools and orphanages in four African countries. Who wrote, directed, and produced the video for “Building Kids?” Yep. D Dave!
What’s so astounding is that, with all the time he has poured into our lives, David has continued to work on major Hollywood productions and has had roles in dozens of television shows (you can catch him in “Chuck,” “The Kissing Booth” (1&2), “Deep State,” and more. One of my older sons told me just this morning that he saw D Dave in a show he was watching last night. “Mom, D Dave is everywhere!” I laughed, because it’s true! From producing and directing amazing documentaries about sea turtles and a competitive youth choir to putting on a great Southern accent for his role as a judge, David Morin is an incredibly busy man. But he is never too busy to check in on us and see what we are up to. And that’s one of the biggest reasons Coffee Corner isn’t just a dream in the back of my head.
I get up in the morning and find messages from David, who lives back in our beloved South Africa. Here’s a sampling from before and during our tasting event last week:
Do I have to tell you I teared up, realizing he was sending these messages from 2-4am his time? This man was up, checking to see how things were going, every bit as excited about our trial run as we were. Everyone needs a David Morin in their life.
Our Kickstarter campaign has reached $30,742 as of the time of this writing. We have three days to meet our $35k goal (it’s an all-or-nothing deal). That we have come this far is largely due to the efforts of our darling friend. David has not only pledged to back us financially, he has recruited friends all over the world to join him, and has put together a fund-raiser for us back in South Africa. All for a little corner coffee shop in a small town in Southeast Alabama. All because we “happened” to meet in one African country and live as neighbors in another one. All because he is the kind of friend who goes all in and holds nothing back. On days when I’ve wondered if I’d actually lost my mind with this café idea, Dave has been there with words of encouragement and ideas to spur me onward (yes, D Dave, we will have a mural on that wall one day!).
Lunch in Cape Town with DDM. It’s always an event to spend time with this amazing human!
It really is about community, folks. Honestly, nothing would have happened without family, neighbors, fellow business owners downtown…and friends like this spectacular guy we cherish so much. Pandemics and lockdowns can’t stop us when we have each other. This is why we are determined to bring a little slice of the life we loved to our wonderful downtown. And one day, you may just walk past Coffee Corner and see a certain bearded gent sipping his coffee and taking in the surroundings with quiet delight. That’ll be my friend and the best brother a gal could ask for—D. David Morin. Be sure to stop and say hello. His beautiful smile will flash before you know it, and you’ll carry one on your own face for the rest of the day. It’s just that contagious.
Thank you, D Dave. We couldn’t have done it without you, friend.
David with James Caan in “For the Boys.”
