A new independent coffee shop, The Rex Café, has opened inside Generation Church at 18 North Palafox Street in Pensacola, Florida. Church officials learned how to open a coffee shop through Crimson Cup's 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- From sip to soul, a quaint new coffee shop is nourishing the heart of downtown Pensacola.
Inspired by old Hollywood movies and the cafes of Europe, The Rex Café provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere for sipping classic espresso beverages inside a restored Pensacola theater.
The new café operates as an extension of Generation Church, which purchased the historic Rex Theater at 18 North Palafox Street and restored its 1930s Art Deco design.
"By providing simple and quality beverages, our mission is to create a space for the community to develop relationships, make connections and enrich your soul," said Associate Pastor and Café Manager Lois Renaud.
Originally built in 1910 as a furniture store, The Rex Theater entertained Pensacola audiences from the 1930s to the 1980s. Generation Church renovated the theater in 2012 to include a large main theater, a second-floor meeting space, and a third floor with classrooms and church offices.
A decade later, they were ready to add a café in the first-floor lobby of the main theater.
Pastor Renaud said the inspiration for The Rex Café arose from the church's desire to be a more intricate part of the community.
"We didn't want just to be a church only open on Sundays, but a part of people's everyday lives," he said. "What better way than a coffee shop?"
To learn how to open a coffee shop, he and Assistant Manager Annie Gray turned to Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea and its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program. This award-winning coffee roaster and coffee business consultant has helped start and grow over 300 independent coffee shops in 30 states.
"We were looking for a coffee partner that could help us develop a café that does justice to the unique beauty and iconic history of The Rex Theater," Pastor Renaud said. "A coffee franchise would not have allowed us the flexibility we needed."
As Generation Church was searching for a coffee partner, a Honduras coffee professional who worked with the church on missions encouraged Pastor Renaud to contact Crimson Cup.
For over a decade, the roaster has worked with Honduran coffee farmers through its unique Friend2Farmer initiatives.
"In Honduras and around the world, Crimson Cup looks not just for partners, but for lifelong friends," said Founder and President Greg Ubert. "Our Friend2Farmer program goes far beyond Fair Trade. We help provide a better quality of life for the farmers, their families and their communities. It's all part of our Focus on Good."
Once the connection was made, Crimson Cup's coffee shop startup consultants guided Generation Church in everything from writing a coffee shop business plan to laying out the café, developing a menu, choosing equipment, training staff and more.
"The Rex Cafe has a fabulous partnership with Crimson Cup," said Pastor Renaud. "From our cafe's inception until today, they guided through the entire process."
"They provide everything we need for a successful coffee shop, from equipment support to products. We love using their coffee and other products for our beverages and look forward to growing our relationship."
The coffee has won rave reviews from local coffee lovers.
"As someone who treasures the privilege of having a cup of coffee, I can be quite picky," wrote one Google reviewer. "The Rex Cafe offers an experience surpassed by none in my all of my travels, centered around great coffee and espresso."
Of the 7 Steps, Pastor Renaud found Step Six: Focus on Customer Service, the most valuable. "Without creating a friendly and welcoming environment, we wouldn't be able to make the connections and relationships that bring people back to the café," he said. "Make sure you put people first, whether employees or customers."
Pastor Renaud invited everyone in Pensacola, Escambia County and the Florida panhandle to experience The Rex Café. Follow the café on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
Founded in 1991, Crimson Cup is at the forefront of the coffee industry. Its attentive roasting, startup support and global partnerships are consciously designed for the greater good of communities around the world. Among other national recognitions, the company has earned 2020 and 2017 Good Food Awards, the 2019 Golden Bean Champion for Small Franchise/Chain Roaster and Roast magazine's 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year.
Crimson Cup travels the world searching for the perfect cup – driven by meaningful relationships, honesty and a shared vision for the future. Its Friend2Farmer initiatives foster respect and decency through mutually beneficial collaboration across local and global communities.
Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, the company teaches entrepreneurs how to open and run independent coffee houses in their local communities. By developing a coffee shop business plan, entrepreneurs gain insight into coffee shop startup costs.
Crimson Cup coffee is available through over 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 30 states, Guam and Bangladesh. The company also owns several Crimson Cup Coffee Shops and a new CRIMSON retail flagship store. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com, or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.
Media Contact
Cheryl Claypoole, Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, 614-361-5023, [email protected]
SOURCE Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
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