Nearly a year after burning to the ground, a café in Grand Rapids is now ready for business.

Rising Grinds Café opened this month in the LINC space in the Madison Square neighborhood, at 1167 Madison Ave. SE. The café's hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The breakfast and lunch menus feature coffee from a partnership with Ferris Coffee & Nut Co.

The kitchen and dining areas contain furniture provided by Steelcase, and there's an outdoor dining area for warmer months.

It also has free Wi-Fi.  

Mission

The café is part of the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation, an organization led by Grand Rapids-based Bethany Christian Services.

Rising Grinds Café serves as a place to “empower young adults with employment and training opportunities in the neighborhood through meaningful work and community partnerships.”

The café provides youth employees with a ServSafe Managerial Certification and an additional customer service and sales credential through the National Retail Federation. Café leadership works with Bethany Christian Services to provide youth with other support services.

“One year ago, the fire was heartbreaking, both for the young people who were designing and building it and for those who were set to work there,” said Justin Beene, founder and director, Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation.

“We have faced and overcome this major setback and now are ready to move forward with the project and be an inspiration in the neighborhood. We have added new partners, a great menu and have created over eight sustainable jobs with this venture.”

Bethany Christian Services

Bethany Christian Services, founded in 1944, has 120 branches in 25 states.

The nonprofit serves about 1,200 children annually in foster care programs and provides services across a continuum of care.