After more than a year of planning, YouthBuild Philly is excited to announce the official grand opening of Stomping Grounds Café (SGC), YouthBuild’s first community-facing and student-led social justice coffee shop. The Café officially opened its doors to the public on Monday, Nov. 1 at 8 a.m. after holding an initial ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, October 29.
The event was a complete success and was filled with fun, food and music! Special shout out to YB Philly’s very own Scott Emerick, YouthBuild Philly Executive Director, Melissa Jackson-Schmidt, YouthBuild Philly Director of Workforce and Kim Paulus, Stomping Grounds Café General Manager and YouthBuild Philly Customer Service Instructor, who led the ribbon-cutting ceremony and provided some very inspirational words of hope and appreciation.
Thank you to everyone who attended the ceremony – it was a pleasure to chat one-on-one with our new neighbors and reconnect with long-time friends of YB Philly. Guests who attended the ceremony received a free sample of SGC’s world-class banana chai latte and sweet potato pie spiced latte, followed by a student-led walk-through of the Café. The event wrapped up at 5 p.m. with a light networking session and a very impromptu photoshoot with YB staff and students.
For background, Stomping Grounds serves the community and is dedicated to ensuring that all YB Philly students, neighbors and customers, all have a place to feel welcomed and safe. At SGC, everyone has a seat at the table!
The mission of SGC is built on the foundation of nearly 30 years of young adult training experience and more than five years of running an in-school cafe serving students, staff, and invited guests. Stomping Grounds is more than just a café – it will serve as a flexible space and classroom for YouthBuild students in its Business Administration Scholars (BAS) program.
SGC provides YouthBuild students with an authentic experiential learning opportunity via hands-on, day-to-day operation and management. SGC employment opportunities are exclusive to YBPCS alumni and current students to empower them to become self-sufficient leaders of their community and earn a living sustaining wage.
SGC will specialize in producing Italian espresso-based beverages made from beans ethically sourced, locally roasted, and handled with care by trained professionals. Teas and other assorted beverages will be offered as well. Students will be responsible for creating and promoting specialty menu items and will work with customers to design custom-crafted beverages to suit any taste.
The Café’s hours of operation will run from 8 am to 1 pm, Monday through Friday and is located in the Powelton Village section of West Philadelphia at 3859 Lancaster Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19104. If you’re ever in the area, please feel free to stop by for a carefully crafted coffee or tea.
YB Philly is committed to improving the lives of young people and Stomping Grounds is where the students can use their newfound skills to make change in their community. To learn more about YouthBuild Philly, please follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @YouthBuildPhl and @stompinggrounds_sjcafe on Instagram.
-YB Philly
