Church Street Coffee: Where Love Brews

Church Street Coffee has teamed up with The Well in downtown Stockton to roast and bag the most flavorful coffee beans.

As one of the micro-businesses created by Gospel Center Rescue Mission, Church Street Coffee’s roasting team consists of three women who have been through the New Life Program at The Mission. The faith-based New Life Program empowers participants to become positive members of society. Working closely with The Well, they have learned the intricate details of the very competitive coffee business. The Well’s Roastery offers a collaborative space designed for coffee enthusiasts and entrepreneurs to learn about coffee roasting and grow their business. The demand for Church Street Coffee is teaching them business and public relations skills as well as building the team’s confidence. Aligning with The Well Stockton has brought the dream to life, with a mission to engage, empower and equip entrepreneurs and creatives.

All coffee roasting and production for Church Street Coffee is fulfilled from start to finish at The Well. “Running Church Street Coffee has given me such purpose. I love learning, I enjoy meeting people in the community, and it keeps me busy,” shared Laurie Holloway, Church Street Coffee team member. “I learned to roast the coffee beans, bag them and prepare for shipping. My team goes out into the community to sell coffee at events and churches.”

The team has created a supply chain to various churches throughout the area, several retail stores including True Value Hardware Stores on Country Club Boulevard and Fremont Street, as well as online sales. They are actively participating in festivals and community events, selling the Church Street Coffee beans and often providing fresh coffee for sale. Recently, they had a booth at Festa Italiana! at the Lodi Grape Festival Grounds, where they sold coffee drinks and were able to spread the word about their business.

Each bag of savory coffee beans is roasted with love, with proceeds supporting the work The Mission is doing for the addicted and homeless in our community. Their Church Street blend is sold in 12-ounce bags of whole beans or single-pot pouches of ground coffee. “We are a small startup but we are starting to grow,” Laurie said. “This work makes me feel important, especially since the proceeds go back to the Gospel Rescue Mission programs.”

Running Church Street Coffee has given Laurie and her team purpose and the opportunity to serve others while learning the ins and outs of a business.

To learn more about Church Street Coffee, visit churchstreetcoffee.com.