PRAYING FOR A GREAT CUP OF COFFEE
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| RESTORE COFFEE ROASTERS: Look Behind the Curtain |
During the holiday season, when goodwill and kindness are stressed, the only sentiment I experience when shopping is the 'stressed' part, brought on by too many people and too few parking spaces. While picking up last-minute items earlier this week in the Boynton Beach mall, I came across Restore Coffee Roasters and decided to take a break.
The branding of independent coffee houses varies as widely as the quality of their coffee, but Restore achieves the highest level of both measures. With an entrance completely open to the mall, the storefront is immediately inviting. The design, product selection and corporate identity of this two-year old single unit location equal the image of Starbucks, which has perfected their formula over 43 years and in over 21,000 shops. The Restore employees I met were engaging, friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. A customer experience this positive piques my interest. Then I was handed my large lemon ginger tea and muffin for a little over $3 and was informed that the operation is 100% not-for-profit with earnings benefitting local charities. I was convinced there was something more to this place.
As I sat in a comfortable chair trying to reconcile the costs and returns from this business, double doors at the end of the lounge opened and several people came into the store. Curious, I walked through the doors and entered a modern, spacious open area leading through another set of doors into a huge auditorium that used to be a Dillard's store and is now -- the Christ Fellowship Church.
After confirming with a store employee that Restore is part of the Church I marveled at the sophistication of their concept. Rather than "Restore" referring to a 'green' theme, the business's motto is "Restoring hope, one cup at a time." Without mentioning one word to me as a customer about their faith, Restore allowed me to discover that this church represents, quality, service, hard work, value, vision and charity. It is the single best example I've encountered of outreach by a religious enterprise and, rather than feeling the wool was pulled over my eyes, I am astonished and impressed by this passive yet impactful strategy to increase awareness through community involvement.
Commercial enterprise and religious institutions can inform each other about best practices and when combined as they are at Restore Coffee Roasters, great things are happening. Read about Restore Coffee Roasters here.
