Pulling all-nighters is a time-honored tradition for college students cramming for final exams and usually includes gallons of coffee and perhaps an earnest request heavenward for a passing grade.
UTC students recently got a boost during finals during the grand opening festivities of a third Café MiAroma store located in First Christian Church on McCallie Avenue. The café offered free coffee to card-carrying students and stayed open 24 hours each day April 25-27.
"Students need sustenance when they're studying," said Rogers Hornsby, the café's operating manager. "I couldn't think of a better way to introduce UTC to our new store than to offer students free coffee and a place to study during finals. The church location is
smack in the middle between the school and UTC housing."
The café not only specializes in coffees and specialty espressos, but offers a full menu of sweet treats, wraps, salads and breakfast items.
If any "soul food" is served up by First Christian Church's Paul Rebelo, café patrons won't find it listed as a side item on the café's menu.
"Opening a café in our church is about connecting - building a bridge to the community seven days a week - where anybody of any faith can enjoy food, friends and coffee," said Mr. Rebelo, better known as Pastor Paul to his congregation. "Our purpose here is not to shove religion down people's throats. That's not why our church partnered with Café MiAroma."
Although the café was humming with free coffee and the special all-night study sessions for the final exam stretch, students and other patrons can look forward to blowing off steam during weekend evenings when live entertainment heats up.
Live folk, rock and alternative music are in the line-up for the church café locale, added Mr. Hornsby, who, along with owners Ryan and Mia Wolfe, have discovered a highly successful and distinct formula for the Café MiAroma chain started in Chattanooga and
recently featured in National Restaurant News.
"Local and national touring acts, plus open-mic nights all are in the works," added Travis Aten, First Christian director of university ministries, who is charged with helping market Café MiAroma and hiring entertainers, along with the café's general manager Erika
Gonzalez. "This will be a venue where students get to see and experience some great live music."
Further extending that atmosphere where music, friendship and comfort are the priorities, Mr. Rebelo's ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between the church and culture by connecting people to other people and to God. In fact, the only worship "experience" held at Café MiAroma is on Sunday evenings and is called "The Bridge."
"We want to do church differently at The Bridge," Mr. Rebelo explained. "Instead of telling people what to believe, we take serious questions about faith and wrestle with them together. Make no mistake, though. We're all about the Gospel of Jesus. But all
faith perspectives are welcome. We won't have all the answers; we want people to join us and help us ask the right questions."