Students react to Cause Coffee

A handmade wooden sign displaying the shop’s logo adorns the front wall of Cause Coffee.

Johnny Meehan

A handmade wooden sign displaying the shop’s logo adorns the front wall of Cause Coffee.

Cause Coffee, a non-profit coffee shop, recently opened its doors to the De Soto community on March 23. Cause’s menu incorporates lots of different coffee drinks, teas, smoothies, milkshakes, floats, pastry items as well as locally roasted coffee beans. The money the shop produces is donated to organizations and places in need around the world, which periodically change.

Cause is located inside of a 107 year-old house that has been remodeled and repurposed to home the organization. The environment of a cozy coffee shop as a place to study and socialize has been one of junior Alyssa Perry’s favorite parts of Cause.

“Cause is a super convenient place to study,” Perry said. “I also enjoy going and hanging out with my friends and teammates.”

Sophomore Chase Culver has visited the shop multiple times since its opening and has enjoyed the quality of the products they serve.

“Even though I don’t drink coffee, the smoothies and the chai tea are the best I’ve ever had, and I like that the money goes to a good place,” Culver said.

Cause Coffee uses local ingredients and products to sell, as well as products that are strictly fair trade, meaning that the product came from a place with fair worker treatment. The people who farmed or helped produce the products are directly benefited and given fair wages. This is to reduce the amount of money given to corporations that mistreat workers or utilize cheap labor.

Perry appreciates the shop for what it stands for as well as the funds it raises for many different worldwide issues.

“I love the fact that something as simple as buying a cup of coffee can help make a difference in the world,” Perry said.

Not only do they sell food and drinks, but Cause also sells local art and handmade products from Nicaragua. The products are brought back to America from the De Soto Youth Ministries’ mission trips.

Cause also runs solely on volunteer work, and with the baristas and workers not having to be paid, it ensures that as much funding as possible is being sent to the “cause” that the shop is focusing on at that time.

So far, Cause Coffee has made a positive impact on the De Soto community, and for a good cause. For the time being, Cause will be open 8-6 on Thursday and Friday and 8-2 on Saturday on West 83rd Street in downtown De Soto. For information on specials and upcoming events at Cause Coffee, they can be followed on Instagram @CauseCoffeeKC.