She ran a coffee shop at Robins AFB. Now, she has her own in Warner Robins - sort of

Longtime workers at Robins Air Force Base may recognize the owner of a new coffee and gift shop in Warner Robins.

For nearly 20 years, Lolita Glover ran The Afterburner coffee shop inside the Base Restaurant at Robins.

After she retired in late 2021, Glover worked in food services for Houston County Schools for close to two years.

At 63, Glover said she wanted to be her own boss and opened The Afterburner on Corder Road on Aug. 1.

“I decided, you know what, life is too short, and let me look at my bucket list, and I did this,” said Glover, a native of the Philippines.

She named her business after where she had loved to work on base in hopes that some former customers might recognize the name and check out her shop.

The small shop at 201 Corder Road, Suite A, is at the back of Lutar Salon & Tanning in a separate, converted space she leases from the salon owner.

From a tiny kitchen, Glover whips up hot, cold and frozen drinks. Her menu includes white chocolate, caramel, chai latte, espresso, cold brew, green tea and Boba drinks

Also, she mixes frozen drinks with fruits such as strawberry, taro, pineapple, mango or honey dew. Additionally, she serves Halo-Halo, a popular dessert in the Philippines, a tropical salad that’s also popular there, and other food. She often has chicken salad for sandwiches.

“If I’ve got it, I’ll make it for you,” Glover said.

She also sells a wide assortment of pre-made snacks such as crackers, candy and chips.

Her shop has one large round table inside with several chairs around it where she hopes customers will sit down and relax with a cup of coffee and look over her merchandise.

Glover offers clothes and jewelry from India and the Philippines, a large selection of other custom jewelry, and some American clothes, shoes, and purses. She once had a shop selling such merchandise at Smiley’s Flea Market in Macon. She hired someone to run it.

The Afterburner also has a small outdoor patio with one table and a few chairs. She expects to add more tables and chairs to the patio.

For Glover, the shop keeps her active and offers supplemental income.

“It’s relaxing, and you know, I’m doing something,” she said.

Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call 478-334-3195 or 478-213-7801 to order ahead for take-out.

This story was originally published August 6, 2024 at 10:39 AM.