LANCASTER —What started, about six years ago, as a small weekly gathering with people experiencing homelessness at Jane Reynolds Park culminated in a grand opening celebration of nonprofit Street Company’s new roasting facility in the Lancaster Business Park, on Friday night, with the company’s founders, donors, community partners and supporters in attendance.
“Tonight is a celebration,” Pastor CJ Johnson, who sits on Street Company’s Board of Directors, said.
Street Company co-founder and Executive Director Jesse Lee started the nonprofit organization, in November 2017, with the Founding 4 members — Marco Van den Huevel, Bobby Edwards, Steven Wilson and Matthew Labelle. They decided to build their own business and hire themselves and their friends on the street. They focused on coffee. Coffee beans and wholesale coffee are sold through Casters Coffee.
According to the National Coffee Association, seven in 10 Americans drink coffee, every week; 62% drink coffee, every day. The average American coffee drinker drinks just over three cups, per day.
The Founding 4 learned from professionals. They gathered every day to study coffee and develop specialty drinks. Van den Heuvel learned how to become a master brewer.