One of Stillwater’s best kept secrets, The Coffee House, is serving more than coffee drinks.
The Coffee House, located at Third and Knoblock, started about four years ago when University Heights Baptist Church realized it owned a building that could be used to serve students by providing them with a place to come. Since then students and Stillwater locals come to The Coffee House to study, meet with friends or hang out.
“Basically, it exists to provide students with a safe and neutral place to come and study,” says Kristina Fleming, OSU alumna and Coffee House intern.
This little coffee shop is unlike other coffee shops in the area. Each month The Coffee House donates 100 percent of its proceeds to a different charity it feels is making a difference and could use the donations received from drink purchases. It is able to do this through a stipend it receives from The Cooperating Baptist Fellowship of Oklahoma.
There are no set prices on the drinks. Instead, customers are encouraged to donate to the organization for the month so The Coffee House only takes cash or checks.
“A lot of will come in and put $20 in at the beginning of the week and just cover their drinks for the week,” Fleming said. “But we don’t really keep track of it. It’s the honor system that you’re donating toward a good cause for your coffee.”
All the workers at The Coffee House are volunteers. The majority of the volunteers come from Oklahoma State University campus organizations that The Coffee House partners with. Members of these organizations can volunteer to complete their service hours or simply help because they believe it is for a good cause.
There are other coffee shops in the area that students could choose to go to, but many consistently choose The Coffee House to spend their time at and give their money to.
“I think a lot of it is that we have good drinks and it’s going toward a good cause, so people can kind of get behind that,” Fleming said. “But we work really hard to make it a comfortable atmosphere and for people to feel like we are generally interested in their lives and what they are studying.”
The Coffee House is working to make a difference both locally and worldwide.
“We kind of have an attitude of whatever we can do to serve you,” Fleming said. “I think that’s different then some of the other places in town.”