New coffee shop coming to Kirkwood

Coffee lovers will soon be able to help disadvantaged people throughout the world while getting their daily caffeine fix.\nSherwood Oaks Christian Church plans to open a coffee shop at 315 E. Kirkwood Ave. in January called “The Pour House.” All profits will go to poverty relief programs.\n“If you buy a cup of coffee from Guatemala, money will be sent to help people in Guatemala,” said John Robertson, Sherwood Oaks college minister. “By buying coffee, you can help make the world a better place.”\nThe church had been looking for a good location near campus to center its college-outreach ministry when Roberston discovered the property on the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Lincoln Street.\nThrough prayer and meetings with students, Robertson said he began to envision how the 2,500-square-foot space could \nbe used.\n“There are already 21 coffee shops in Bloomington, so we are looking to set ourselves apart,” Robertson said. \nThe main room will have a high-definition TV, and will show sporting events in the evenings. Roberston plans to have various live musical acts on the weekends.\nRobertson said he expects to have some Christian rock as well as local performers from the Jacobs School of Music. He said he is also looking forward to getting jazz groups \nto perform.\nThe coffee shop will be painted with a mixture of browns and blues, and will have a spacious back room with large windows and a fireplace for studying. The basement will host Bible studies and community \nservice meetings.\n“(The coffee shop) will be a good place for fellowship,” said Don Rader, a member of the board of directors for the project. “It should have a nice, friendly atmosphere.”\nRobertson said he believes the coffee shop will bring energy to the downtown area. He said its size, with multiple rooms for patrons to enjoy, sets it apart from other Bloomington coffee shops.\n“Whether you just want to stop in for a cup of coffee, get some studying done, socialize with friends or enjoy good music, you can do it all here,” he said. \nBesides going to Guatemala, profits will also support programs that help build wells in African villages where people are suffering from lack of clean water. Robertson would like a percentage of the profit to go back into the Bloomington community as well. \n“This is going to be a great outreach opportunity,” \nRader said.\nThe Pour House is scheduled to open Jan. 7, the first day of second-semester classes. It will be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.