Faith, family and franchises: King and Latonia Parks drive community growth through diverse business ventures

By Emily Ruth Perry, posted Mar 5, 2026 on BizFayetteville.com

King and Latonia Parks both had successful careers in the military before returning to civilian life and starting their real estate business. They eventually expanded their portfolio, opening a Cold Stone Creamery in Hope Mills and The UPS Store on Cliffdale Road in Fayetteville. Photo provided by Latonia Parks.

In honor of Black History Month, Greater Fayetteville Business Journal is highlighting Black-owned businesses in the area, and in featuring King and Latonia Parks, we can’t just talk about one business. King and Latonia collectively own a real estate company, a home renovation company and two different franchises in Fayetteville and Hope Mills. Their business practices reflect how they live their lives: driven by faith, family and their military experience.

King and Latonia went from high school together to successful military careers. King retired after 24 years as a brigade command sergeant major, and Latonia after 20 years as a sergeant first class traffic management coordinator. While they were stationed in Hawaii, King encouraged Latonia to get her real estate license in preparation for her upcoming retirement from the military. Once Latonia had the opportunity to buy and sell their personal properties, she too realized there was untapped potential there.

Once they came to Fort Bragg, Latonia became a licensed real estate agent. A few years later, she founded the real estate company Top Bragg Realty & Property Management. After retiring, King became licensed, joined the company and expanded the property management division. In an enduring spirit of growth, they expanded to a second real estate company, Cape Fear Home Solutions, focusing on renovations and sales.

Since beginning to work together daily, King works exclusively as a seller’s agent and Latonia as a buyer’s agent. This not only allows them to cover all areas of real estate, but it also allows them to keep a healthy boundary within their marriage. They also prioritize their marriage by having a weekly “date day,” and going on frequent trips and vacations.

In fact, it was on one of their “date days” that they went to an ice cream shop and noticed the demand. After talking over dessert, they knew they could bring this to the community to give more options. So from there, they did their research and decided to move forward with opening a Cold Stone Creamery as their next business venture. But there would be a delay in opening.

When trying to get financing from their bank, they were only offered $50,000, which would not be enough to get the business off the ground. Instead of continuing to seek bank funding with high interest rates, they decided to self-fund. They started saving the profits from the sales of their real estate company, and within a couple of years, were able to open their self-funded Cold Stone Creamery in Hope Mills. This remarkable discipline and patience comes from their years in the military.

“We wanted to make sure we were prepared and we wanted to make sure the numbers made sense before we started. We had the mental toughness to get through the challenges and we had a command sergeant major on the team,” Latonia shared.

They also trusted God’s timing and have been prayerful every step of the way. Their church family at True Vine Ministries has been supportive throughout the whole journey.

“I remember when we were opening the Cold Stone, the whole church came to support and our pastor, Dr. Ernest W. Jones, was part of the ribbon cutting,” said Latonia.

And they’ve felt the responsibility to share their blessings. They’ve mentored others within their church and community who aspire to open their own businesses. King’s primary focus is overseeing and empowering the various staff of the real estate company, Cold Stone Creamery and The UPS Store at Cliffdale, which they opened in 2023 and is run by their daughter.

Latonia oversees the administration of their businesses. This is another way that working together after being married for 34 years is an asset for the couple, and they play on their strengths. They see themselves as equal partners in these ventures.

“He is a great leader; that’s one of his strengths,” Latonia explained. “He asks and honors what I think, but the final decision lies with him.”

King and Latonia want to leave a legacy for their two daughters, but it is equally important for them to honor God and make an impact within Fayetteville.

“Of course, we want to leave something for our girls. They manage some aspects of the businesses now, so whenever we pass, the businesses won’t pass with us. But we don’t need to see our names on a building. I remember my pastor preached a message that has always stuck with me; he said, ‘If I have to eulogize you, give me something to work with; your character, your integrity, your impact.’ Well, we want to make sure he has plenty of material to work with.”

Latonia and King have no doubt left a mark on the Fayetteville community, and through their hard work and areas of service, they plan to continue to serve the people of Fayetteville across all of their business endeavors.

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