The Grounds of Grace coffee shop will open on Feb. 21 at 1633 University Blvd. N. The project has been in the works for a year and was originally announced at the beginning of 2022.
The founder of Grounds of Grace, Ronald Armstrong, spoke to What Now Jacksonville about the upcoming grand opening of the site.
The non-profit has been serving espresso beverages in their renovated 1998 Blue Bird school bus since Dec. 2020. They will continue to operate their coffee-on-wheels as a catering and event service alongside the new brick-and-mortar location.
“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,” states the Grounds of Grace website. The coffee shop supports Sponsored by Grace, a Christian-based community outreach organization.
The ultimate goal of Grounds of Grace is to put money back into the community, starting with children impacted by poverty. They also aim to employ youth living in low-income or high-crime areas to help them gain work experience and engage with their community.
The building site will be split into three units owned by the non-profit, including an office space for Sponsored by Grace as well as DnP Cupcake Bakery, a mom and daughter operated bakery which will also employ youth in the community.
