Grace Coffee & Cafe to open in Cape Girardeau

Sixteen months after the original announcement, not-for-profit Grace Coffee & Cafe is finally ready to open at 1865 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, with a grand opening and block party slated from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 29.

"We've had so many delays but we're finally here," said Susan Stone, who co-founded and co-owns for-profit Grace Reliant Health Services with her brother Samuel Duer, a licensed clinical social worker.

Utilizing the slogan "Different is Good", the establishment is the fulfillment of a long-standing vision.

"About three years ago, some community members encouraged us to start a not-for-profit in order to access some grant funding. We created Graceful Opportunities in July 2021 and incorporated with the Missouri secretary of state," Stone said.

"We had this idea to create a coffee shop cafe employing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with competitive employment. Area Properties Real Estate helped us find the location and they actually purchased the property, so we lease the building from them."

The site is the former Zoi's Gyros Corner drive-through shop, which closed last year after 28 years in business.

Grace Coffee & Cafe, 1865 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, carries the slogan "Different is Good", and will host a grand opening block party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 29.Jeff Long

Grace Coffee & Cafe, 1865 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, carries the slogan "Different is Good", and will host a grand opening block party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 29.Jeff Long

Drilling down

Cape Girardeau County's SB 40 Board, named after Missouri Senate Bill 40, provided a $350,000 grant to Graceful Opportunities to create employment for those with disabilities.

"The grant funding paid for construction, for interior remodeling and for purchasing all the equipment and everything that goes along with getting us ready to open," said Stone, who is vice president of the Graceful Opportunities board.

Duer is board president, with Ann Click of Cape Girardeau serving as secretary. Andrea Roseman, Carmen Shrimplin and Nick Grassi, all of Jackson, and Jessica Evans of Cape Girardeau fill out the board of directors.

Stone said those with intellectual and developmental disabilities will work alongside what she called "neurotypical" staff, a reference to non-disabled employees.

About 20 people will be employed in all at the shop, which, like Zoi's before it, will have a drive-through lane plus seating for 20 inside the eatery. Beginning Monday, July 31, it will be open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

"We expect the shop to run as a regular business, exclusively carrying St. Louis-based Kaldi's Coffee, and will be self-sustaining. What we mean by that is, revenue from sales will pay for employee salaries as well as all overhead," Stone said, noting employees will be compensated at prevailing minimum wage.

Opening

Grace Coffee & Cafe has been holding several "soft" openings in preparation for the grand opening Saturday.

"Our staff, some friends and family and Area Properties employees have been going and placing orders and giving our workers the experience of what it's like to deal with a line and take orders. They've been practicing for quite awhile, but the 'soft opens' give them the chance to interact with real customers before we open to the public," Stone said.

Menu

"We'll have coffee and tea and smoothies. We'll have multiple choices in breakfast sandwiches, waffles and fruit parfaits. Lunch is basically soup, salads, sandwiches and sides. We have phenomenal taste-tested items designed by our chefs. We'll also have baked goods and some gluten-free items," said Stone, who said she has been "thrilled and appreciative" of community support to-date.

"I know it's taken a long time to get here, (and) some of our Facebook posts have had as many as 60,000 views and thousands of likes and comments and shares. We want Grace Coffee & Cafe to be a business people want to support because it's good food and good people, not because it's a charity."

Expectation

"Our great desire is for business people to come and have breakfast and lunch and be so impressed that they decide to hire folks with developmental disabilities, too. If a business wanted to hire our people away from us, we'd gladly welcome that. It's hard to find people to work right now and we will have a stream of potential employees most people aren't considering," Stone concluded.

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