For some Christian business owners in the Ozarks, modern times may call for a makeover. That’s the case for a coffee shop in downtown Springfield, as KSMU’s Bailey Wiles reports.
Looking around Kingdom Coffee & Cycles, one can see elements of the owner’s Christianity. There is Christian music playing over the speakers and there is a Bible sitting open on the darkened wood counters. The Wi-Fi password is even a Bible verse.
But there are no crosses hanging on the walls, and no Christian fish painted on the front door. The walls of the facility along South Market Avenue offer clean lines and neutral colors. And Jason Strother and Isaac Neale may not look like typical Christian business owners either; their arms display intricate tattoos and they have ear gauges the size of quarters. It’s perhaps an attempt to attract a younger crowd into the shop, the likes of which appreciate great tasting coffee and bicycles inside a modern atmosphere.
Strother spoke about the name of their business, and how it shows their faith in a non-assertive way.
“We named it Kingdom because we believe the Kingdom is a place of pure excellence not lacking in anything good. We want to just manifest that here. Everything from the coffee beverages that we prepare, from the bike service that we have, to the atmosphere that we have, it’s all with the mindset of excellence.”
Neale spoke about how they don’t want there to be a divide between their personal lives and their professional lives.
“Our shop is such a manifestation of who we are. It just makes sense to take the biggest part of our lives personally, which is our pursuit of our relationship with the Lord, and allow that to manifest in a natural way in our business, from the name to the atmosphere in here, to our pursuit of high quality drinks, high quality goods in our shop, high quality product, and high quality service.”
Although their shop is a manifestation of Christianity, they want it to be an open and welcoming place to people of all faiths. Neale talks about what this means for his business and his personal life.
“We don’t want to just attract Christians. We don’t just hang out with Christians when we’re outside these four walls. We don’t just listen to Christian music.”
Steve Proffitt was also trying to attract a young college student crowd when he opened The Potter’s House 14 years ago across from Missouri State University.
“I noticed a lot of students downtown, a lot of clubs going on, places for students to hang out, which is fine, I don’t have any problem with that. But I thought, what about the student who doesn’t really want to go down there? Doesn’t really have an alternative and doesn’t know where to go?”
So he decided to open a coffee shop that would be open late and would be alcohol free. A place where students could gather over a cup a coffee, a smoothie, or a pastry and stay until midnight. And also somewhere where students could come and feel safe about talking about their faith or asking questions about Christianity, no matter who they are or where they come from.
Potter’s House is also a non-profit organization and has the help of volunteers and donations, and a sponsorship from The Church of the Nazarene. And with this help, The Potter’s House sees thousands of students who come there for support, encouragement, mentoring, and community every single year.
Overall, both businesses offer a great atmosphere where one can find a nice hot cup of coffee and relax with friends or alone. And both The Potter’s House and Kingdom Coffee & Cycles also put a part of themselves into their business and in doing so attract a young, modern generation.