A blackboard waiting to be filled with signatures lines one side of a small lemon-colored building in the Normal Station neighborhood. Posters advertising a grand opening are dispersed across the room, and a menu filled with multiple coffee and tea options adorns the top half of the front wall.
It is all preparation for the grand opening of Avenue Coffee, a first for the Normal Station district. The grand opening is scheduled for April 25 and 26 from 7 a.m. to midnight both days.
A group of students transformed the once-vacant building at 786 Echles St. into a college-friendly environment where students can study, hang out and enjoy a cup of coffee.
"We are all about creativity and are focused on promoting good conversations," owner Nick Griffin said.
Griffin, along with four other students who attend Mid-South Christian College, first envisioned the non-profit coffee shop two years ago. Part of the mission of the college is to teach students how to be leaders and how to be proactive on their dreams.
Larry Griffin (no relation to Nick Griffin) has been president of the college for the past 12 years.
"The students who are running the shop are all seniors and basically did it all by themselves," he said. "They found the building and raised the money all by themselves."
The coffee shop offers a variety of handmade pastries along with hand-poured coffees and teas for a reasonable price. A personal favorite among the employees is the strawberry tea latte, which can be served in a teapot or as a traditional latte.
The shop will feature live music and is in the process of setting up a room where people can watch movies. There also is an option to sit outside on the back porch for a more scenic view.
Ten percent of every purchase will be donated to the organization or charity the coffee shop partnered with for the month, according to Nick Griffin.
"We just want to give back to these organizations in that way and hopefully some of the issues we are supporting will spark some conversations about issues that matter," he said.
