Ordering a cup of locally roasted coffee and gourmet pastries, including the newest pastry trend — the doissant — means giving back to others at Cafe 109.

The ministry-based coffee shop officially opened its doors to the public in September. Biola history professor Scott Moffatt started envisioning the café in 2010. Located in the heart of downtown Fullerton, Café 109 seeks to serve the community and be a symbol of hope in the middle of bar-lined North Harbor Boulevard and eventually give back profits to the community.

“We prayed and came up with the idea of starting a coffeehouse ministry in downtown Fullerton,” said Moffat. “It was a pretty obvious location, when you consider the 5,000 to 8,000 college-aged youth that come down here on a Friday or Saturday night. It was bold and exciting for us.”

Profits of the café will go toward a local charity focused on caring for parentless children and the feeding the hungry.

The idea for opening the café started in a Bible study with Moffat and a group of students. He challenged the students to think creatively on how they would boldly serve their community to make an impact for God.

Biola junior and Cafe 109 employee, JJ Carroll, hopes to see the cafe be the place that changes Fullerton for the better.

“This is what downtown Fullerton needs. There’s so much that goes on here, this is just a little place that can hopefully spark a little bit of change,” said Carroll.

The focus of Café 109 is to serve the community and Moffat saw that including the best quality food including pastries like the doissant — a cross between a donut and croissant — and coffee were part of that service. All of the food is made from scratch and the coffee is roasted by Rose Park Roasters, a local roasting company owned by Biola graduates, Andrew Phillips (‘03) and Nathan Tourtellotte (‘04). The two deliver fresh coffee to the café every few days.

Recent Biola graduate Rebecca Fuller helped promote the cafe opening. She loves the idea behind the café and the business’ intentionality to reach university students while helping the community.

“This isn’t just another coffee shop. It’s a coffee shop with a mission that aligns with my beliefs,” said Fuller.

The café, located at 109 Harbor Blvd. in Fullerton, is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, check out their Facebook page.

 

Written by Taylor Durden, media relations intern. For more information contact Jenna Bartlo, media relations specialist, at 562.777.4061 or jenna.l.bartlo@biola.edu.