Rachel and I have always had a desire to own and run a cafe/coffee shop/lounge what have you, for many reasons. For one, coffee shops were central to the beginning of US ( :) ). Two, they are central to several things that we value very highly such as conversation, common ground, comfort, familiarity, a rich shot of espresso, an aromatic cup of dark roast, a sense of community etc.. We have several ideas of ways we want to use it in a way that brings
a little more of the Kingdom of God to the community where we have it such as the kinds of people we hire and train and services we provide to the community as well as what kind of coffee we buy, from who, and how they are treated(yes you can assume I mean fair trade). Every opportunity we get we try to find new coffee shops or cafe's to check out to give us inspiration and re-ignite our desire to open one some day, so with that I stumbled on this amazing cafe in Seattle called Q Cafe. Here is a little description that they give of the Cafe that immediately sparked enthusiasm and gave me even more to shoot for when we open ours:
Q Cafe is non-profit neighborhood cafe in Seattle featuring direct trade espresso and tea, live music, art, and community events. We proudly serve Stumptown Coffee; support local artists and musicians through our art gallery and live music venue; host many groups through the rental of our space; host community events; help collect resources for the homeless community; and give back 10% of all cafe sales to local and global non-profit causes.
In addition to great coffee and tea, Q Cafe also features free WiFi for laptop users, 2 desktop kiosks for internet [30 minutes/purchase], a new kids’ room for parents and children, countertop tables and benches for laptop user with easy access to outlets, a piano, and plenty of comfy chairs and sofas.
As I said early we don't know when this venture will take place but hopefully it brings together all of the elements that I mentioned here and more.
3 comments:
I don't understand why no one has commented yet. This is an amazing post Matt! I totally know what you mean...a coffee shop could easily be a springboard for community and the Kingdom. I remember this one in San Francisco that was a fair trade coffee shop during the week and a church on Sunday nights. They just turned the couches around and used the stage area in the back. But yeah, keep me in the loop.
Booyah.
Do it.
I remember our breakfasts at inklings and the great espresso and the HUGE pieces of toast I would have for breakfast.
I love seeing what is going on in your head.
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