2008 Woodie Awards
Local coffee shop contributes to the community
Valorie Engholm
Issue date: 9/11/06 Section: Culture
- Page 1 of 1
A new Kansas City coffee shop is focused on giving back.
Entrepreneur Edward Neer, with business partners Tim Wikstrom and Jennifer Platt, opened the Ten Cup coffee shop, 651 E. 59th St., this past January with the community in mind. Part of the Ten Cup's business plan is to donate 10 percent of its profits to ten separate charities each quarter.
Neer also owns and operates two other businesses with business as well as life partner Wikstrom. Edward and Associates is a design studio, and Willow is a flower shop and soon-to-be tea service.
Neer had the idea to open his coffee shop because of a television documentary about a man whose son suffered from an enzyme deficiency. The story touched Neer's heart, and that is when he decided to find a way to give back to the community.
"True balance is giving back, not just receiving," said Neer. The next step to serving coffee was natural to him because "we all wanted a coffee shop we could hang out at," he said.
Neer hopes to give the community a place to come together while enjoying coffee and food and help give a little hope to those in need.
The Ten Cup's charities are chosen each quarter by an advisory board of 12 members, each of which has made a two-year commitment to the project. Neer said the advisory board has strict criteria of which charities to choose, and requires financial statements to show where the charity's money goes and how many people the charity reaches. Neer said that each quarter he has a new favorite charity, but he is most inspired by charities that help children.
The coffee shop's proceeds have so far been coming from the shop itself, but by October Neer plans to have bags of the Ten Cup's privately-blended, custom-roasted beans for sale at Cosentino's Market in Brookside. One dollar of the proceeds from each bag sold would go to the 10 charities for that quarter.
Aside from selling coffee, the Ten Cup also sells gourmet food including sandwiches, soups, pizzas, quiches, and more, and provides a counter for sitting, comfortable and private couches for relaxing, and a large table in the back, ideal for meetings or for studying. Neer and his business partners are also committed to local talent and feature work from local artists every month.
The Ten Cup is located at 651 E. 59th St., in Morningside Place Shops. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
vengholm@unews.com
Entrepreneur Edward Neer, with business partners Tim Wikstrom and Jennifer Platt, opened the Ten Cup coffee shop, 651 E. 59th St., this past January with the community in mind. Part of the Ten Cup's business plan is to donate 10 percent of its profits to ten separate charities each quarter.
Neer also owns and operates two other businesses with business as well as life partner Wikstrom. Edward and Associates is a design studio, and Willow is a flower shop and soon-to-be tea service.
Neer had the idea to open his coffee shop because of a television documentary about a man whose son suffered from an enzyme deficiency. The story touched Neer's heart, and that is when he decided to find a way to give back to the community.
"True balance is giving back, not just receiving," said Neer. The next step to serving coffee was natural to him because "we all wanted a coffee shop we could hang out at," he said.
Neer hopes to give the community a place to come together while enjoying coffee and food and help give a little hope to those in need.
The Ten Cup's charities are chosen each quarter by an advisory board of 12 members, each of which has made a two-year commitment to the project. Neer said the advisory board has strict criteria of which charities to choose, and requires financial statements to show where the charity's money goes and how many people the charity reaches. Neer said that each quarter he has a new favorite charity, but he is most inspired by charities that help children.
The coffee shop's proceeds have so far been coming from the shop itself, but by October Neer plans to have bags of the Ten Cup's privately-blended, custom-roasted beans for sale at Cosentino's Market in Brookside. One dollar of the proceeds from each bag sold would go to the 10 charities for that quarter.
Aside from selling coffee, the Ten Cup also sells gourmet food including sandwiches, soups, pizzas, quiches, and more, and provides a counter for sitting, comfortable and private couches for relaxing, and a large table in the back, ideal for meetings or for studying. Neer and his business partners are also committed to local talent and feature work from local artists every month.
The Ten Cup is located at 651 E. 59th St., in Morningside Place Shops. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
vengholm@unews.com
Be the first to comment on this story