A non-profit coffee shop benefits more than customers
The white walls peppered with community flyers are as bright and cheery as the barista Cherise. As I have not always been a lover of coffee, I have always been a lover of growing community and Coffee Community Collective, affectionately referred to as C3, does more than just provide a hot cup of joe.
An extension of our amazing local thrift non-profit organization Northside Neighborhood House, every purchase from C3 benefits those in need.
First, if you don’t know about Northside Neighborhood House then…where have you been? Seriously though, I’ll explain. Northside Neighborhood House (NNH) has been involved with “promoting independence by providing a hand up through education and assistance” for almost a hundred years! And they keep getting better with age.
Relocated from their original Soddy Daisy location just last year, NNH moved to their current set up as it provided more retail space and an opportunity to open Coffee Community Collective. Almost a year old, C3 has made such an impact and as if this place weren’t special enough because of what they do and where they are, they offer specials almost every day of the week.
No matter the day, you get a free cup of hot coffee or cold brew when you purchase a bag of Mad Priest Coffee beans. And it’s not like a rinky dink hotel cup of stale coffee, it’s a stout 16 ounces of whole-hearted local, loving goodness. Every “Terrific Tuesday”, enjoy half off lattes and other select drinks.
Since one cannot live on coffee alone, although I do know several small business owners trying to do so, they offer fresh doughnuts, muffins and scones from B’s Sweets. They also carry Chai Tea lattes as well as hot tea for those who aren’t aboard the coffee train and offer almond or soy milk and cane sugar.
Randomly located in a shopping center nestled between Food City and Northside Neighborhood House thrift store, C3 is a multitasker’s dream come true.
Go purchase a bag of Mad Priest beans (and have them ground which takes one less step out of your workload and brings you one step closer to coffee which is oh so nice) then sit and enjoy your free cup of java while you make a grocery or to do list.
Then hit the stores! Grab your essentials at the grocery store or my favorite, grab your not-so-essentials at the NNH Thrift. Just last week, I bought three pairs of name brand corduroys for $7! Tell me that doesn’t sound like the most accomplished day!
An easy drive on US-27 with beautiful views of Signal and Mowbray mountains, this out of the ordinary drive will provide an exceptional experience with local food and drink, smiling-contagious customer service and the thought that your money is going to something bigger and better than a cold, chain restaurant who doesn’t care for our community.
If that wasn’t enough, C3 also holds frequent art exhibits so the reasons to visit this quaint coffee shop are abundant. Play checkers, read a book, create a home office away from home. Follow their Facebook and Instagram, or even better go to the shop at 10161 Dayton Pike, Soddy Daisy. Open Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., get a firsthand feel for what this pleasant, caffeine-driven addition provides for the small town of Soddy as well as our entire area.
I hope you can smell the desperation in my plea to support this business, like a fresh pot of strong Dark Knight Mad Priest coffee brewing. As I am not one to create anything but warm and fuzzies from an article, I am also one who resides in Soddy just moments from this glorious establishment and wish for it not to go away.
There is not much night life (or morning action either) and us folks in the county deserve some culture and C3 provides it so I am gripping onto it with both hands firm like my first cup of coffee.
Help keep the culture expanding beyond the realms of Chattanooga and visit this cute coffee shop.