Greenhouse Ministries is expanding its community outreach efforts with the addition of Ivy on Spring Coffee Shop, a new venture that will serve crafted coffee and pastries while helping fund the organization’s mission to support working families in need.
“We’ve been wanting to open a coffee shop for some time,” said Greenhouse Ministries founder Cliff Sharp. “We had planned to open it this summer, but it looks like it is going to be this fall.” The goal is November 1, 2025.
According to Gracie Jones, who is serving as the project manager for Ivy on Spring Coffee Shop venture, there have been codes issues arise as they renovate and repurpose an old building made of concrete blocks that exists on the Greenhouse Ministries campus next to their resale shop known as The Garden Patch. The address will be 203 East State Street.
“Any type of crafted coffee will be our focus to start,” explained Jones, “along with some pastries. We are talking to Sweet Addictions as a possible source for the sweets.” Other drink options will include teas, soda, and lemonade for kids.
The space will also house the boutique section of The Garden Patch, as the popular second-hand store has outgrown its current space. The Garden Patch opened 15 years ago as a source of income to fund operations for the organization, which supports the working poor who do not qualify for government assistance but struggle to support their families.
According to Alexander Sanford, the operations director for Greenhouse Ministries, the coffee shop will also help raise operations funding, but additionally their hope is that it will become an opportunity for community outreach.
The 2,000 square-foot space will be able to seat about 40 people at one time, offering tables and comfortable seating. They have already hired a manager to run the business, but they are looking for one additional full-time staff person with barista experience. The coffee shop will also depend on volunteers to help keep the business running. Volunteers will act as support staff for the two paid employees, much as they do in the resale shop.
Jones said that eventually they plan to add some local artisans to the boutique section of The Garden Patch that will be housed in the Ivy on Spring building, however, this is a future plan. They want to grow the coffee shop business slowly and respond to their customers.
Initially, hours for the coffee shop are planned to be Tuesday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., however, the planning team has not settled on definite hours.
Greenhouse Ministries was founded by Cliff and Jane Sharp in 1999 when they realized the community was lacking a way to support the working poor. They began by providing furniture to those who had experienced the loss of their home to fire, and their programming grew as they discovered their clients had other needs. The organization currently offers everything from GED classes, to life skills classes, to legal advice, as well as food and clothing. They can help with coordinating various services provided by other non-profits, as well as providing comfort and prayer.
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