Tracy Vitela

Owner of Just Love Coffee Cafe in Mt. Juliet

Hi there, Mt. Juliet! I had an opportunity to interview Tracy, one of the sisters behind Just Love, a local coffee shop. Here’s our interview:

Intro: I am a mother in a blended family. I met my husband a year after I opened the shop—in the shop, actually! We have a total of 5 kids between the two of us.

I grew up going to the coffee shop as a teenager, waiting for my sister to do her shift there. I really fell in love with watching the people there and sitting together and being happy, and it became this little safe place for me. My sister LOVED being a barista and making coffee and all that stuff. So this was our happy thing that we had together. When I was in corporate America, and my sister was a teacher, I came home one day, and I told my sister, “I need to know if this dream that we always talk about is ever going to happen.” My sister grabbed her notebook, and said, “Okay, what do we want out of this coffee shop?” And we designed it right there. We connected with the franchise, I made my decision to leave corporate America, and here we are! We signed on the dotted line in January of 2020, then we got hit by the tornado in March, and then in May we got put on hold because of Covid. We took a huge risk, but I knew everything would be okay because God was behind it the whole time. I just had to stay true to that. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been incredibly rewarding.

Q: How long have you lived or worked here?

A: I’ve lived in Mt. Juliet for 15 Years.

Q: What was Mt. Juliet like when you first came here? Paint us a picture of the community and city you knew back then.

A: CALMER. It was still busy, but it was a lot calmer. The city has just boomed, which has been really cool to see. There’s a lot more community involvement and activities now, which I really like. North Mt Juliet Road has already been expanded once, I know people are all saying that it needs to be expanded, but it’s already been expanded!

Q: What’s something about Mt. Juliet that makes you stay in the community?

A: I feel like I get a lot of the country feel, and I still get access to what I need. I’m near a lot of places when I want to get up and go and do something fun. The community is really fun, and I really enjoy meeting the community in the shop. Mt. Juliet is my home, and it just tugs on my heart.

Q: If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

A: Bold, Courageous, Disciplined

Q: If you could switch lives with any famous person (alive or dead) for one day, who would it be and why?

A: One of the Apostles at the time of Jesus. I’d like to get to experience Jesus and see Him. I have this deep desire to know Him so much deeper.

Q: What is the most beautiful sight you’ve ever seen?

A: I’ve seen some pretty incredible things. My faith drives everything about me. So for me, when I see sunsets, the ocean, mountains—earth in general—I feel God’s presence, which makes it so beautiful. I could be staring off at the ocean and feel an absolute calmness, amazing peace, and closeness with God. But also, when I see people helping each other, when I see somebody really show an act of love and care for somebody else, I feel that same calmness.

Q: What book, podcast, or show are you loving right now?

A: Book: Fasting by Jentezen Franklin, and the Bible daily – Podcast: Let Them by Mel Robbins

Q: What is one thing you do to help make your day a good one, no matter what?

A: Prayer. I spend time with the Lord every single morning.

Q: What advice have you taken to heart that truly made a difference for you?

A: Not to take things so personal. Hurt people hurt people. Sometimes when people are speaking, they aren’t talking to you personally. Most likely there’s something else going on in their lives.

And that’s a wrap! You can find Tracy’s coffee shop Just Love in Mt. Juliet at 63 Belinda Parkway, Mt Juliet, TN 37122.