Though students are familiar with fueling up on coffee at Starbucks and Java City on campus, many may not be aware of the coffee shop within walking distance of south campus classes: Kairos Koffeehouse, located at the Wesley Foundation. 

Melissa Guerra, “pastorista” for the Wesley Foundation, explained how Kairos Koffee came to be, because of the organization’s love of coffee and community. 

“In the summer of 2016, our Pastor Sam Hubbard was appointed to be the pastor of the Wesley Foundation, and renovations on the building started shortly after. We noticed there weren’t many coffee shops on or around campus. For someone to get coffee on the south side of campus, you’d have to walk half way across campus to get it. So we decided to give it a go,” she said. 

Gracie Newton, a junior education major, explained the importance of Kairos Koffeehouse’s location. 

“I feel like it was the perfect spot for students who are not as close to the main building. It’s nice to have that easy access and not have to walk all the way across campus for coffee,” she said. 

The shop also provides a variety of options on its menu, ranging from flavors to pastries, for customers to enjoy. 

“We partnered with Decatur Street Roasting in New Orleans to create three of our own Kairos roasts: a dark roast, light roast and decaf. Each week, we offer a new ‘Drink of the Week’ creation made by one of our talented student workers, so there’s always something interesting to try. We have a cookie business, The Cookie Bizzness, owned and operated by one of our alumni that provides the tastiest gourmet cookies for students to enjoy as well,” Guerra explained. 

Unlike the other coffee locations on campus, Kairos Koffeehouse is a non-profit organization that benefits university students. 

“We also knew, going into this adventure, that we wanted to give it all back to the students of SLU as well, so we are completely non-profit. At the end of each semester, we give all of our profits back to the students and community of SLU. We also get to help students by providing federal work-study jobs through the university,” entailed Guerra.

Guerra described the impact that COVID-19 had on the organization throughout 2020. 

“After the campus shut down, we had to close our building to ensure our students who live here were protected. We have seven residents living inside the Wesley Foundation. Because no one could come in to order coffee, we finally got our delivery service off the ground and started to push our website and social media. While it did hurt our overall business because students weren’t on campus, we got to engage with our customers in a different and exciting way and build our relationships with our regulars who visited us every week,” Guerra explained. 

Kairos Koffeehouse looks forward to meeting new students and providing a positive atmosphere for all who stop by. 

“We really try our best to offer a welcoming environment to everyone who walks through our door. When you come in, we want you to feel like you are loved and at home. Whether you need a good laugh hanging out in the cafe with everyone, or a quiet place to study in the chapel, we want you to find your place to just be your most authentic self,” Guerra shared. 

Kairos Koffeehouse is located at 307 W. Dakota St. inside the SLU Wesley Foundation, right across the street from White Hall. Students can visit on Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., and accept cash, card, Apple Pay and Lion’s Lagniappe. Delivery and curbside pickup are available through their website www.kairoskoffeehouse.com.