Macey Estrella Kadlec

Change Starts Here

story by HEATHER STEINBERGER              photos by CHARLOTTE BERKELEY

As soon as you arrive, it’s clear this is not your run-of-the-mill coffee shop. There’s the full-size candy mannequin, for starters, and the bright neon sign proclaiming, “Life is Sweet.”

Then you notice that every square inch is filled with bright, happy themes and inspiring things to find: positive messaging on the walls; creatively decorated nooks for taking fun selfies; a cozy couch with a warm, flickering, electric fireplace; and bookshelves filled with engaging titles and vital community resources.

It’s clear this is a safe space that celebrates all of life’s joy and hope while also offering inspiration and solace to those who need it most. For Macey Estrella Kadlec, owner of Sunny Summers Cafe in Beaufort, that’s exactly as it should be.

When she was a child, safe spaces were in short supply. One of seven children, Macey was born to parents who struggled with mental health issues and addiction. As a result, the children endured years of abuse, abandonment, and even homelessness.

“We moved around a lot,” Macey says. “We got evicted. We lived in tents. At one point, my mom tried to get out, and we went into hiding from my dad. We went to Texas. Child Protective Services came and found unfit conditions, so they called my dad, and then all hell broke loose again.”

At a young age, Macey made the decision to stay busy. She got a job and became active in school sports.

“I didn’t want to end up like them,” she says frankly. “I played softball and started wrestling at 15 years old.”

She discovered that this particular sport suited her.

“I loved the aggression,” she explains. “I was angry as a kid, just mad at everyone because I didn’t understand why I had to go through what I went through.”

After spending stretches of her childhood in Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama, Macey went to high school in Florida. There, she rose through the high-school wrestling ranks to become state champion and No. 9 in the nation.

Wrestling wasn’t the only great love that came into Macey’s life during her high-school years. At age 15, she also met the young man who would become her husband, Alfonso Estrella Kadlec.
“He was born in the Dominican Republic and grew up poor,” Macey says. “He lost his mom to addiction and lost his dad to (committing) domestic violence. His dad almost killed his mom.”
Having endured similar trauma, the teens quickly learned to rely on each other. They also worked on building a better future.

“He dropped out of high school to work in construction full-time, so I could finish high school and go to college,” Macey explains. “I went to college full-time while I was working two jobs. I’d also been trying to help my family, to no avail, and I was exhausted.”

One day, when she was 19, Macey found herself driving past a U.S. Marine Corps recruiting office. She quickly pulled over.

“I knew if I signed up, I’d have to go,” she says softly. “I loved my family too much, but I also knew I was enabling them. I was so desperate. I needed to get out of there.”

In 2010, Macey arrived for boot camp at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island. After attending the Military Police Academy at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, she returned to Parris Island and served as a Marine police officer.

When asked why she was drawn to law enforcement, Macey says, “When I was younger, I never understood why the police didn’t save us. When we had wellness checks, we were never taken out … despite the bruises.”

Macey excelled in the military. She was her company’s top shooter, and she was the only female on the Special Reaction Team (SRT), a group of highly trained Marine police officers who deploy for operations that require specialized tactics or equipment.

While serving as a corporal, Macey started a construction company with Alfonso, who she married in 2010. They bought their first home, and in 2012, they welcomed the child they had imagined together when they were teenagers — a beautiful little girl with blond curls named Summer.

Not long afterward, Macey learned about a Backyard Wrestling event in Statesboro, Georgia, and thought it would be fun to participate. World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase also attended, and he saw a spark in Macey.

“He said he would get me a tryout for WWE,” she recalls. “The Marine Corps gave me leave to go to Florida for it. I was offered my contract in 2015 and started in 2016.”

WWE superstar Lacey Evans was born. Celebrity, however, never was a primary motivator.

“It was cool, but I never wanted to be famous,” Macey explains. “I planned to use this platform to show the world that you can make it.”

With Alfonso’s support, Macey left the military and moved to Orlando for training. Then, she embarked on a successful seven-year career with WWE.

During this time, she attempted to rebuild a relationship with her mother, who left Macey’s life when she was just 13. She also continued to try to help her siblings; by this time, all six were struggling with mental health issues and addiction as well.

“It was a nightmare,” she says. “There were overdoses. One sibling tried to commit suicide. I just broke. I ended up in a mental hospital. My 4-year-old daughter was not there, and my husband had been going through hell. That’s when I knew I needed to set boundaries.”

The WWE life took its toll on Macey as well, and she recognized that the entertainment industry’s priorities did not align with her own.

“Hollywood doesn’t care about mental health or childhood trauma or addiction,” she says. “It’s only about money. So, I was very limited in what I could do to help people.”

It was time to expand her platform, and Macey did it in an unexpected way. She ended her WWE career in August 2023 and opened the doors to Sunny Summers Cafe the same month. The cafe is named for the couple’s two daughters: Summer, now 11, and Sunny, 2.

A coffee shop felt like a natural fit for Macey, who started making coffee at the age of 12.

“Imagine getting up in the cold and dark, and there are no parents,” she says. “I had to get up and get all of us ready for school. Coffee saved me, honestly. It gave me the energy I needed to push through.”

Sunny Summers Cafe would be about more than coffee, however. Macey envisioned a true “mental health cafe,” a gathering place with vibrant colors, positive energy, and plenty of resources for those in need.

In just seven short months, Macey has brought her vision to life. The cafe hosts Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon meetings, complete with free coffee and donuts; free family events, such as Polar Express and Meet Santa, this past holiday season; and special monthly offerings, like a magic show, bingo with a bubble-tea bar, and even a vision-board seminar.

Day-to-day customers also will notice a variety of thoughtful details. The cafe menu shares the phone number for a mental health hotline, for example. Coffee drinks are crafted with uplifting ingredients, like honey and lavender.

Those who put their phone in jail for the duration of their visit will receive a beautifully decorated doughnut for free. And, if you’re looking to enjoy a little friendly competition, the cafe has cornhole and a giant Connect Four game outside.

For families with small children, “corner covers” on the fireside coffee table protect toddling passers-by. All the children’s books are on easy-to-reach lower shelves, and tile flooring is easy to clean when messes happen.

“This is a family-friendly place,” Macey says with a smile. “I tell the moms to just let ‘em go, because I want them to leave here feeling refreshed and positive.”

At press time, Macey was preparing to launch a support group for military spouses. She hopes to eventually host the group on a biweekly basis.

That’s not all. She’s also planning new community events, such as an Open Mic Night, as well as a “Take What You Need” booth that will sit outside the cafe. She offers catering for special events, like weddings and baby showers, and interested parties can even rent the cafe space if they’re looking for a special venue.

Meanwhile, older daughter Summer is hard at work on jewelry, sage bundles, and positive messages for her own little booth at the cafe. Sunny Summers Cafe is 100 percent a family business, one that is dedicated to mission-centered, heart-driven work.

Because the cafe’s story is so deeply intertwined with Macey’s own, it has helped her forge unexpected connections.

“The personal impact the cafe has had on people when they have the nerve to tell me … I’m often in tears,” she says. “I didn’t expect that. But that’s why I wanted to do this: to create an environment that helps give people hope.

“I want to lift people up, to show them you get to decide where you’re going,” she adds. “It doesn’t matter what hand you’re dealt, just what game you play.”

To learn more about Sunny Summers Cafe, visit sunny-summers-cafe.myshopify.com. You also can join the cafe community on Facebook and Instagram.