Second Helpings Café: East Memphis Coffee Shop & Event Space

Second Helpings Café at The Front Porch, Memphis.

Second Helpings Café at The Front Porch is an East Memphis coffee shop serving breakfast, lunch & Sweet LaLa's signature baked goods. Offering a range of premium coffees and fresh pastries — all in a welcoming community gathering space — we have created a safe place to slow down, share a meal, and connect with people, right in the heart of Memphis.

Second Helpings Café logo

What We're Serving

Our picnic-style menu is thoughtfully curated for gatherings, meetings, and events, featuring:

  • Breakfast favorites like avocado toast, cinnamon rolls, and waffles
  • Fresh, flavorful lunches including wraps, salads, and seasonal soups
  • Grab & go options perfect for busy schedules
  • Sweet LaLa's signature treats including our beloved cookies, cupcakes, and cakes
  • Specialty coffee drinks featuring Vinculo Coffee and My Cup of Tea

Every item is prepared with the same attention to quality and flavor that Sweet LaLa's Bakery has been known for since day one.

View Our Menu

The Front Porch building exterior in Memphis

Our Mission: Feeding Body & Soul

We believe connection is essential. In partnership with the Baptist Center for Good Grief, which serves more than sixty-five people weekly at no cost, Second Helpings Café helps normalize conversations about mental health, grief, and belonging—taking the stigma away by bringing people together.

When you share a table here, you're part of a citywide effort to heal loneliness; when you purchase a latte or lunch, you support programming that lifts people up. This is hospitality with purpose.

Our Details

Where

Perkins & Walnut Grove, Memphis (on the campus of Second Baptist Church).

Why

To tackle loneliness, elevate mental health, and foster real connections.

How

Comforting, picnic-style food; purposeful partners; open, welcoming space. Event space available.

Treats, Sweets, & Locally Sourced

We are proud to carry products from Sweet LaLa's Bakery and our local Memphis-based partners, from breakfast items to all your favorites.

Belgian waffles with maple syrup served fresh at Second Helpings Café for breakfast
Two packages of locally produced Bluff City Toffee at Second Helpings Café in Memphis

Give someone the gift of a Memphis-made product from one of our local partners. We carry items such as Bluff City Toffee, coffees, and the Vinculo Connection.

The perfect treat awaits for someone you love, or as a "Just Because" treat for yourself. You will find the perfect gift box filled with locally made products and baked goods made to order from Sweet LaLa's Bakery. Just give us a call and we'll do the rest!

Countertop display shelves filled with Sweet LaLa's Bakery treats at Second Helpings Café

"Gather for Good" at Second Helpings Café

We're expanding our commitment to serve the Memphis community with delicious food and meaningful gatherings. Second Helpings Café brings the quality and care you know from Sweet LaLa's Bakery to a beautiful new space designed for connection and community.

  • Picnic-style lunches: wraps, salads, soups, and Sweet LaLa's treats
  • Full espresso bar featuring In Vinculo coffee and My Cup of Tea
  • Partnerships that uplift mental health with Baptist Center for Good Grief

Opening Hours

Open Tuesday to Saturday: 7:00am to 4:00pm
Sundays & Mondays: CLOSED

Interior of Second Helpings Café at The Front Porch in Memphis with people gathered together
Interior of Second Helpings Café at The Front Porch in Memphis showing people gathered together.

When you visit Second Helpings Café, you're not just enjoying a meal—you're supporting a space that brings people together for good.

— Lauren Young, Owner

East Memphis Coffee Shop

Second Helpings Café at The Front Porch is a welcoming, purpose-driven space by Sweet LaLa's Bakery— a place to slow down, share a meal, and connect with people in the heart of East Memphis. Our East Memphis coffee shop is designed as a vibrant and safe space where everyone is welcome. We have created a welcoming, comfortable and safe gathering space for everyone, born out of our long-term mission.

Coffee drink in a to-go cup with whipped cream and caramel drizzle Blue rocking chairs on the covered front porch at Second Helpings Café community gathering space Fresh tortilla wraps filled with vegetables and protein at Second Helpings Café in Memphis
Customer purchasing a blue mug and a package of treats at the payment counter in Second Helpings Café Memphis Lauren Young with the Second Helpings Café team wearing branded aprons in the Memphis kitchen The Front Porch mug of coffee and a breakfast sausage biscuit on a parchment-lined tray Catering spread with fresh salads, berries, cheddar cheese, and chicken for events
Second Helpings Café branded coffee with fresh-baked oatmeal raisin cookies at The Front Porch Memphis Bottle of Vinculo Glazed Lemon Latte next to a cup at Second Helpings Café Memphis Artisan avocado toast with mixed greens and balsamic drizzle at Second Helpings Café Memphis

From Pumpkin Patch to Front Porch

For more than twenty years, the Pumpkin Patch at Second Baptist Church has welcomed thousands—over 5,000 visitors in October alone. From those conversations came a simple idea: open the campus so more Memphians can gather, connect, and feel at home under the trees.

Lauren Young, owner of Sweet LaLa's Bakery and Second Helpings Café, with her parents at an outdoor gathering

The Front Porch opens five acres of a sixteen-acre, park-like setting to the city. Second Helpings Café is the hospitality heartbeat of that vision—where food, friendship, and healing meet.

This is also a family legacy. With Lauren's parents, the project honors Memphis' approachable spirit and the belief that people here connect best when they can simply be together—in a glass building, on a lawn, beneath a grove of trees.

Story of Second Helpings Café
The Front Porch campus building exterior surrounded by trees

Events on the Porch: Book the Space

From small meetups to larger community gatherings, The Front Porch is built for togetherness—glass-walled indoors and a sweeping lawn outdoors. Events help sustain programming and make a direct impact.

  • Book an event: Facility use agreements available for the Café and The Front Porch
  • Become a sponsor: Help underwrite free community events and be recognized locally
  • Corporate partners: Align your brand with Memphis hospitality and mental-health advocacy

The Front Porch Memphis transforms East Memphis gatherings with its stunning event space at 4688 Walnut Grove Road, where floor-to-ceiling glass walls flood modern interiors with natural light, creating an open and airy atmosphere perfect for wedding receptions hosting up to 100 guests, corporate meetings requiring professional technology and modular seating arrangements, and milestone celebrations that deserve Memphis's signature southern hospitality.

Looking for a wedding reception venue or corporate event space near Perkins Extended in Memphis? This interfaith community center at Second Baptist Church offers couples and businesses a complete venue solution. Second Helpings Café provides in-house catering, eliminating the need to coordinate outside caterers. Private meeting rooms come equipped with whiteboards and presentation technology for board meetings and team discussions. The inviting front lawn creates the perfect outdoor ceremony and cocktail reception space, capturing traditional Memphis front porch gatherings reimagined for contemporary events.

Event space at The Front Porch Memphis with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, fully set with dinner tables and chairs for a formal gathering
Events power free gatherings and help cover annual operating costs.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Second Helpings Café located in Memphis?
Second Helpings Café is located at The Front Porch, 4688 Walnut Grove Road in East Memphis, Tennessee 38117. We're on the campus of Second Baptist Church, right off Walnut Grove Road near the intersection with Perkins Extended.
What are Second Helpings Café's hours?
Second Helpings Café is open Monday through Saturday from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. We are closed on Sundays. Our full espresso bar and breakfast menu start at 7 AM, with lunch service available all day.
Is Second Helpings Café open on Sunday?
No, Second Helpings Café is closed on Sundays. We're open Monday through Saturday from 7 AM to 4 PM for breakfast, lunch, and coffee service.
What kind of coffee does Second Helpings Café serve?
Second Helpings Café serves Vinculo Coffee, a mission-centered roaster committed to ethical sourcing. Our espresso bar features lattes, cappuccinos, cold brew, americanos, and specialty drinks like our Glazed Lemon Latte and Blueberry Scone Latte. We also offer My Cup of Tea selections.
What food does Second Helpings Café serve?
Second Helpings Café serves breakfast items including avocado toast, cinnamon rolls, and waffles; lunch wraps, salads, and seasonal soups; plus Sweet LaLa's Bakery signature treats like cookies, cupcakes, and hand-piped sugar cookies. Our menu is "what you'd bring to a picnic"—fresh, portable, and easy to love.
Does Second Helpings Café have WiFi?
Yes, Second Helpings Café offers free WiFi for all guests. Our community space is perfect for remote work, studying, or casual meetings. We're open 7 AM to 4 PM Monday through Saturday.
What is the connection between Second Helpings Café and Sweet LaLa's Bakery?
Second Helpings Café is operated by Sweet LaLa's Bakery owner Lauren Young. All bakery items—including cookies, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, and custom cakes—come directly from Sweet LaLa's Bakery, bringing Memphis's beloved bakery to East Memphis at The Front Porch.
Does Second Helpings Café have gluten-free or vegetarian options?
Yes! Second Helpings Café offers gluten-free cookies and gluten-free rainbow creme krispy treats. Vegetarian options include our Help Yourself Spinach Hummus Wrap with avocado mash and mixed greens, plus our Tickled Pink Smoky Pimento Cheese salad. We also offer oat milk and almond milk for coffee drinks.
Is there parking at Second Helpings Café?
Yes, Second Helpings Café has free parking available at The Front Porch on Walnut Grove Road. The five-acre campus offers ample parking for café guests, making it easy to stop in for breakfast, lunch, or coffee.
Can I rent space at Second Helpings Café for events?
Yes, Second Helpings Café and The Front Porch offer event space for meetings, gatherings, and special occasions. Contact us at (901) 654-3646 or hello@sweetlalas.com to inquire about event space rental and catering options.
Does Second Helpings Café offer catering in Memphis?
Yes, Second Helpings Café offers catering services featuring our picnic-style menu and Sweet LaLa's Bakery treats. Contact us at (901) 654-3646 or hello@sweetlalas.com to discuss catering for your event.
Can I order online from Second Helpings Café?
Yes, you can order online for pickup at Second Helpings Café through our Clover ordering system. Visit secondhelpingscafe.com and click "Order Online" to place your order for breakfast, lunch, coffee, or Sweet LaLa's treats.
How does Second Helpings Café support the Memphis community?
Second Helpings Café partners with the Baptist Center for Good Grief to normalize conversations around grief, belonging, and mental health. We help elevate access to free counseling services that serve more than 65 people weekly in Memphis, creating a safe space where food, connection, and healing come together.

Gather For Good!

Speak with Second Helpings Café today.