Renewal Coffee is the latest business to call McKees Rocks its home. The upstart coffee shop will be moving into the Father Ryan Arts Center, located at 420 Chartiers Avenue in McKees Rocks thanks to a partnership with the McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation, Focus On Renewal and the community-centered vision of owner/operator David Smallhoover.
Smallhoover’s Renewal Coffee is an offshoot of Fortune’s Coffee, which has served the area for years. Dave Smallhoover hopes to share his family business’ success with McKees Rocks by making Renewal Coffee a hub of community action.
Renewal Coffee will serve a wide variety of teas, pastries and other snacks from local vendors, using ceramic dishes and mugs from the Father Ryan Arts Center’s own ceramic studio. The café will have comfortable seating area with free wireless internet access.
In addition to serving caffeinated beverages and pastries, Renewal Coffee aims to serve the neighborhood as a place of gathering and growth. Cindy Haines, executive Director of Focus On Renewal expressed her shared desire for young people to gather in the cafe, take advantage of the space and use it as a launch pad for community activism and growth. Similarly, Jeb Feldman, MRCDC’s Economic Development Manager envisions the coffee shop as another piece of their workforce development efforts.
Smallhoover enthusiastically shares Haines’ and the MRCDC’s vision and demonstrates this through his plans for Renewal Coffee Barista Training Program for Sto-Rox High School Students.
“Part of our mission is to help the kids in our area get some solid and supportive work experience, barista jobs can open worlds of opportunity for folks who are well-trained and ready for it.” – Smallhover
