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Many things connect us to one another. Agnes Kong, owner of MUTE Koffee AND said she wants to connect people through drinks and food.

“I always had a passion for interior design, food and photography. I had worked as a fashion photographer in New York for 25 years when I decided to move. Living in a big city had so much going on and was stressful. Every time I came home, I wanted to keep myself from all the chaos and the stress — hence the name of my brand MUTE,” Kong said.

Kong said she hopes to create a space for patrons to find a moment of peace in a chaotic world. She left the door open to introduce new services under the brand.

“Once you get into my space, I want you to be able to reflect and enjoy my food, drinks and space. That’s what I am hoping people gain with this coffee shop,” Kong said.

Previously, Kong owned a variation of MUTE that focused more on interior design and refurbished furniture.

“I have many different types of passions, and I want to make one final destination that I can do all of them together,” Kong said. “The reason that there is a “AND” in the name is that I want to expand to more than coffee. I am obsessed with music and any form of art, and I want to bring it there so people can enjoy it.”

Kong said when she opened her business, she was met with a lot of support from her friends in Hogansville.

“They have become extended family, and they were so supportive of me opening up the coffee shop and are happy that I’m behind the bar, in the kitchen, and serving their food and coffee. When they come in with a smile, it makes me happy,” Kong said.

Kong said she moved to the United States when she was 16. She said there was a cultural adjustment when she first arrived, noting racism and cultural differences. One thing she found was how food can help establish relationships.

“Serving food, sharing food in Asian culture is a very big thing,” Kong said. “It’s like giving you my priority, giving my attention to you and friendship, and I’m ready to share. Food is the best connection, and I like communicating and sharing my love with it.”

MUTE Koffee AND offers a variety of different drinks and food including Matcha, Chai Tea, coffee, pancakes, waffles, pastries and more.

“We aim to serve something different every day,” Kong said. “I want to introduce different types of tastes and flavors to customers. OK okay if they don’t like it as long as I can introduce people to different types of food my message of food being a vessel of connectivity is there.”

In the community, Kong said she has plans to revive art classes and introduce cooking classes for children in the area.

“When I was running MUTE, I had art classes for the kids. It was a fun project and gave them confidence,” Kong said. “Once I get settled down here, I am going to have a cooking class and teach people how to make kimchi. It’s stinky, but it’s a good source of probiotics — it’s good food. If they want to learn how to make a different type of pastries, we could have that too.”

Kong said right now, the business is small, but she has plans for it down the road.

“I’m only one person, and it can be an exhausting process. Luckily, it’s a small town, and I don’t have to be overwhelmed. I just want to go with the flow, and being part of the community makes me happy.”

MUTE Koffee AND. is located at 100 E Main St in Hogansville and is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.