Working: The coffee shop, which charges a nominal fee for its services, is located in the heart downtown Tree Streets neighborhood.
LEWISTON — Common Grounds Cafe plans to expand its offerings in the summer, less than six months after opening its doors.
A pay-what-you-can coffee shop is located in the downtown Tree Street neighborhood. It’s a great place to start your career as a teen worker. A Saturday morning showed that it is a place where the community gathers.
Damon Crouse, the program director at The Root Cellar (located at 89 Birch St.), is the cafe’s founder. The restaurant was founded by Damon Crouse and Vicky Crouse, his wife.
Crouse explained, “Realizing Lewiston doesn’t have many cafes, especially ones that can be accessed by our local community at Tree Streets,” Crouse said. “We wanted to offer something that was missing in the community and have a low barrier to entry.”… Many of our neighbors don’t have much income. They gather together and form relationships in this space… while the cafe offers work experience for teens.
Crouse stated that they visited other coffee shops in the region and spoke with their owners to learn more about the business and their lessons. Common Grounds teens created their mission and goals. They are regularly reviewed to ensure they are reaching those goals.
It was more than signing up to work at the coffee shop. Eighteen teens expressed interest in working at the coffee shop out of the 10-15 members of The Root Cellar’s Lew Crew, a lawn care business and woodworking company. Crouse decided to start the coffee shop with four teens. Crouse came up with the idea that would make the selection process fair.
Crouse explained that they had to write a 200-word essay on why they should be hired. “So, I received four essays. They were hired if they wrote essays. We have added and hired as many people as we need.”
Marie Dada, a 10th-grader, and Nevaeh WARNER were both working when the Sun Journal visited. Dada stated that she plans to become a pediatrician and will study business and health at Lewiston Regional Technical Center. Warner said that she was accepted into the culinary program at the technical center.
Students Klein Dozolo & Mucyo Rayira are baristas and cooks, but they had sports-related commitments that prevented them from working that day.
Common Grounds was visited by a steady stream of customers, both regulars and newcomers. Some enjoyed the freshly-brewed coffee and breakfast sandwiches, while others came to chat and enjoy the company. There is never a charge. To offset the cost of paying, some offered tips and donations. It’s part and parcel of the business model, and it seems to be working.
Any Saturday, anywhere from 25 to 75 people pass through the cafe’s doors. This is the only day that the restaurant is open. Crouse stated that the business is doing well, breaking even every week. He also mentioned more considerable startup costs, such as the espresso machine and other costly equipment.
Every week, the teens and Crouse meet for two hours to discuss their progress. “A part of that time is spent shopping for the next week. We look back at our goals and look at our expenses. Then we also look at the donations that are coming in.
Crouse stated that the program was a success, and the community’s reaction has encouraged them to keep it going and hopes it continues to grow. “I believe that we will open up more days per week in the summer, as we are limited during the school year. We are looking to buy an old camper to convert it into a trailer for coffee and serve different parts of the community at other times.
