After announcing plans to expand throughout Jacksonville, Grounds of GRACE has proposed opening a new location in LaVilla at 100 LaVilla Center Drive.
Earlier this year, What Now reported that local non-profit Sponsored by GRACE was working on opening more locations of its coffee shop concept, Grounds of GRACE, throughout the greater Jacksonville area via shipping containers. Now, the company has proposed taking over the former home of Crazy Beans Coffee, which closed last year on the first floor of Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center, according to Jacksonville Daily Record. The cafe hopes to share the space with Cinotti’s Bakery.
The two businesses recently received a 4-0 vote from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority board at the beginning of the month for JTA staff to negotiate a lease agreement. Grounds of GRACE and Cinotti’s are interested in a three-year agreement with an optional three-year renewal to operate in the JTA center, according to information presented to the board. Both businesses will be open to the public, as well as JTA employees. Grounds of GRACE, which started as a coffee bus and has a storefront in Arlington, will offer a variety of coffee and snacks, including a full espresso bar and various pastries. The company is dedicated to creating a safe place for troubled youth by offering employment opportunities.
“Grounds of GRACE was launched in the middle of the 2020 pandemic with the vision of being a launching pad for young men and women to take their first steps of employment through the coffee industry,” according to the company’s website. “Grounds of GRACE is a ministry that supports the non-profit Sponsored by GRACE, which helps release children from poverty by meeting their physical needs, sharing the gospel, and connecting them with a local faith family.”
