ST. ELMO + c o f f e e, located in the heart of the St. Elmo neighborhood, is celebrating its soft launch with a pop-up this Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a community-wide party from 6-10 p.m.
The idea behind the + c o f f e e brand is that coffee is more than the sum of its elements, a shop is more than its walls and a neighborhood is more than the sum of its persons and structures. Coffee brings people together, and as a business, ST. ELMO + c o f f e e plans to come alongside the St. Elmo neighborhood in a collaborative effort to strengthen the community.
Founded by Chattanooga locals, Matt E. Park and Josh Tilford, + c o f f e e has been operating mobile pop-ups at various locations and events around Chattanooga. The two chose to open their first brick and mortar + c o f f e e shop in St. Elmo because of the collaborative spirit of the community, which is the same spirit that drives the mission of + c o f f e e.
The coffee itself is curated from Southern roasters who care about the farmers and sustainable growing practices. Striving to be environmentally conscious, the shop will use upcycled materials, maintain efficient building practices, recycle waste and compost spent coffee grounds, and focus on “for here” serveware over paper and plastic to go.