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Serving up a culture of encounter, one coffee at a time

Local Catholic-owned coffee shops offer something sweeter than a pumpkin spice latte

As temperatures cool, the hot beverages continue to flow at coffee shops all over. But for some local Catholic-owned coffee shops, the warmth of the coffee, tea and snacks served is secondary to the warmth of the faith-filled community they are endeavoring to build.

These shops stand on the front lines of evangelization, welcoming individuals–Catholic and non-Catholic–from all sorts of backgrounds and striving to serve even the most challenging group of all–the caffeine (and, potentially, sleep) deprived.

Among the innumerable coffee options in Northern Colorado, these Catholic-owned coffee shops have a different, unique focus. They seek to know, love and serve each patron who visits them and to reflect the person of Jesus Christ to them.

(Photo from Drogo’s Coffee Bar’s Facebook page)

Drogo’s Coffee Bar, Boulder

Named for St. Drogo, the patron saint of coffee and coffee shop owners, the shop is just a block from the University of Colorado campus and serves a predominately student clientele.

A ministry of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center, Drogo’s looks deeper, striving not only “to offer an excellent cup of coffee” but also “a place of encounter and invitation for students looking for community and friendship,” said Jeff Jasek, the coffee shop’s manager. “We strive to have a beautiful and hospitable environment where everyone is welcomed and greeted with a smile. Even our baristas see their role as primarily to live out the virtue of hospitality, and we strive to do that with every encounter,” Jasek shared.

With its prime location near a bustling university and within a Catholic center, Drogo’s is perfectly poised to encounter each person that comes through their doors and offer something even sweeter than a pumpkin spice latte: an encounter with the Lord Jesus. An adoration chapel sits just beyond the coffee shop doors; a university parish with regular Mass, confession and prayer times is mere feet away; a vibrant Catholic campus ministry with constant groups, activities, formation opportunities and events lies only steps away.

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In short, Drogo’s baristas work to perfect not only the art of superb coffee-making but also that of encounter, aiming to foster an environment of welcome, hospitality and receptivity.

“Sometimes you just need a friendly face, and we try to always provide that for our customers. My hope is that everyone leaves with a great cup of joe and feeling a bit brighter after coming through our doors. We want to offer everyone not just a reason to come in but a reason to stay!”

(Photo by André Escaleira, Jr.)

Tahosa Coffee House, Allenspark

Nestled in the Rocky Mountains lies a beautiful little coffee shop on the grounds of Camp St. Malo in Allenspark. Mere steps away from the iconic St. Catherine Chapel on the Rock, Tahosa boasts a perfect location for rest, appreciation for beauty and community connection.

As with Drogo’s down the mountain in Boulder, Tahosa seeks to be a place of “encounter with the Lord and the people in front of you,” said Ellen Seta, the shop’s manager. “Our property is a naturally beautiful place surrounded by trees and foliage and backdropped by a grandiose mountain, immersed in signs of the sacred. Our greatest attraction is St. Catherine’s Chapel on the Rock at the entrance to our property. Our guests are always in awe at the beauty and particular ‘feel’ of our location, a ‘feel’ fueled by our Lord’s presence in the chapel’s tabernacle and through his presence in creation.”

Before remote workers make the trek up to Allenspark, Seta pointed out that Tahosa intentionally does not offer WiFi “to create space for more opportunities for encounter.” Without the distractions of screens, notifications and other noise, Tahosa’s guests are able to enter into a holy leisure and connect with community and God.

“Tahosa builds community by being a source of leisure and connection for the local community of Allenspark, a small mountain town with few dining or coffee options,” Seta commented. “Our evangelization stems from our hospitality and service approach – exhibiting the joy of Christ and creating a welcoming atmosphere.”

From the coffee shop’s décor to the natural beauty surrounding it to the smiling faces behind the counter, the Tahosa team aims to “exhibit the joy of Christ in our actions and demeanor, so whether it’s a deeper, connecting conversation or some eye-contact and a nod, we hope he shines through what we have to give.”

Tolle Lege Coffeebar, Greenwood Village

For those in the southern Denver metro area, Tolle Lege has been a pillar of the Catholic community for years. On the former Augustine Institute campus, the coffee shop served not only students, faculty and staff of the graduate theology school but also countless local professionals in the Denver Tech Center.

However, what makes Tolle Lege different from the seemingly endless list of coffee shops in the Denver area is their holistic vision and emphasis on encounter, Nick Verdoni, the shop’s manager, said.

“To truly believe that the person comes first and that with each person that visits the coffee shop, we have the opportunity to encounter them with the love of Christ: this distinguishes Tolle Lege from other coffee shops,” he told the Denver Catholic. “We above all seek to behold and love the person before us, while also serving great artisan coffee.”

Whether through their work to recall patrons’ names and orders day after day, their conversations with regulars and their efforts to love each person who enters their shop, the Tolle Lege team aims to “genuinely care and serve each person, listen to their story and help them feel at home.”

Verdoni quickly added that none of this would be possible if the team did not first receive Christ’s love for each of them—“You can’t give what you don’t have,” as the adage goes.

“When it comes to evangelization, it is important that we, the café team, first receive from Jesus and allow his love to overflow into those we encounter. We are blessed to have the opportunity to attend daily Mass at noon in the Augustine Institute chapel alongside other businesspeople from the Denver Tech Center. In addition, it is a gift to be able to pop in and visit Jesus in the chapel during breaks throughout the day,” he noted.

A fruit of their own relationships with the Lord Jesus, the intentional care that the café team shows each guest goes a long way in the grand, evangelistic scheme of things, Verdoni said.

“On a human level, it often looks like playing the ‘long game’ and trusting that the seeds planted will be watered in the proper time,” he said, noting that most people would not be interested or open to engaging in faith-based discussions right away. “But the hope is that they leave Tolle Lege reflecting on how we’re different, especially the authentic Catholic joy they witnessed from the people they encountered. And, by the grace of God, we’ve found that many individuals (especially non-Catholics) do come back, and when the time is right, we are ready to extend the same invitation that Christ offers when they ask about the faith: ‘Come and see!’”

André Escaleira, Jr.
André Escaleira, Jr.
André Escaleira is the Managing Editor of the Denver Catholic and El Pueblo Católico. Originally from Connecticut, André moved to Denver in 2018 to work as a missionary with Christ in the City, where he served for two years.
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