Business notebook: Cafe aims to serve good food with good deeds

A new enterprise in Cape Girardeau combines religious values with victuals.

STA is a cafe with a cause. On Monday through Saturday, it is a community coffeehouse where all can come to grab a cup of coffee and a plate of biscuits and gravy.

On Sundays, members of St. Andrew Lutheran Church join together there for prayer service.

STA is at 820 N. Sprigg St. The space is leased by St. Andrew, but the business is owned and operated by chef and St. Andrew congregant Julie Malone. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Malone's goal is to offer fresh, healthy, familiar foods that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Vegetarian options abound. Many of her offerings are naturally gluten-free, but most of those that aren't, such as the biscuits or the selection of sandwiches, have a gluten-free counterpart.

Julie Malone poses for a photo Wednesday at her new coffee shop, STA, at 820 N. Sprigg St. in Cape Girardeau.Fred Lynch

"My mom was diagnosed with celiac about 20 years ago, so making sure she could eat, too, was always a priority," Malone said.

The restaurant is working toward offering vegan-friendly options as well.

Malone said STA also has a strong focus on giving back to the community. The jar on the counter reads "pay it forward" instead of "tips." Those proceeds are given to a different charity each week, often suggested by the customers.

"We've been able, in the first month, to write four $100 checks," Malone said.

The Safehouse for Women, Backpacks for Friday, the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri and Blanchard Elementary School have been beneficiaries of the jar's collections, Malone said.

The coffee served there comes from the St. Louis not-for-profit Three Avocados, which uses proceeds to provide potable water to Uganda.

STA also tithes 10 percent of its earnings to St. Andrew.

"It's a strange partnership," John Dehne, pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, said of the relationship between the church and the business. "But we work very closely together to accomplish what we're trying to accomplish: to provide a place of belonging for people in every sense of the word."

Dehne said his congregation believes in serving the community at large, and STA is their opportunity do so.

"Our hope is that STA creates a place where people can come and not only get great food and great coffee, but also build relationships and find a place of belonging," Dehne said.

The intent of STA is to make everyone feel welcome, Dehne said, regardless of beliefs.

"We believe that you can't really have a full sense of belonging apart from Jesus, so that's part of the equation," Dehne said. "But our objective is authentic: to give back to our community, to serve and love it well."

Cape chamber to take bids on its building

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce is accepting sealed bids through the close of business Aug. 31 for the building on 1267 N. Mount Auburn Road.

The chamber offices are relocating to the first floor of the Marquette Tower in downtown Cape Girardeau. It is anticipated the building will be available in December.

The building sits on about 0.9 acres, is 4,800 square feet and has 30 parking places. Two years ago, it was appraised at $455,000.

There is a contract for a first right of refusal on the building. The contractual party will have the opportunity to exercise the right and purchase the building, or refuse and let the highest sealed bidder purchase the building.

Bids may be directed to the attention of Craig Billmeyer at the offices of Bradshaw, Steele, Cochran, Berens & Billmeyer, 3113 Independence St. Tours may be arranged through chamber president John Mehner.

Theme announced for Parade of Lights

Old Town Cape Inc. and parade coordinators Kent and Vicki Zickfield have announced the theme of the 2016 Downtown Christmas Parade of Lights: 25 Years of Christmas Lights on Parade.

The parade will take place Sunday, Nov. 27, at dusk. The parade will begin at Capaha Park, proceed east down Broadway and turn south on Main Street to end at Hutson's Fine Furniture.

Area businesses and organizations are invited to visit oldtowncape.org/parade-of-lights.aspx and download an entry form to participate in the parade's silver anniversary. Applications received on or before Oct. 21 are eligible for a discounted entry fee.

Celebrations chef to aid Big Brothers cafe

Concluding a project years in the making, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri has announced it soon will open a new rooftop restaurant and first-floor test kitchen at its headquarters in St. Louis.

When ANEW Rooftop and Test Kitchen launches in October, it will feature four resident chefs from within the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri service area, including James Allen, chef-owner of Celebrations Restaurant in Cape Girardeau.

Allen and the other chefs will be available for events ranging from 250-person cocktail parties to 120-seat seated dinners. They also will have the opportunity to host their own public events and dinners in the space, including collaborations with other local chefs.

"The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to build trusting and enduring relationships that support young people, and the place everyone does that is around the table," Rebecca J. Hatter, president and chief executive officer of the organization, said in a news release. "We have this magnificent building and wanted to build a space we could use for all the things we do and build it so the community can come in and be a part of it."

A number of public events are slated at ANEW through the end of next year, and the space is available to book for private parties, corporate gatherings and wedding receptions.

The goal is to host about 100 public and private events in the first 12 months.

Business licenses

• Transmontaigne Operating Company L.P., 1400 S. Giboney Ave., is a bulk-fuel storage business owned by Transmontaigne Partners, L.P. The anticipated opening date was Aug. 1.
• Casa Mexicana, 1832 N. Kingshighway, has changed owners. The Mexican restaurant now is owned by Seis Amigos, LLC.
• The Consignment Lot, 329 S. Kingshighway, owned by Al Bisher, is a location where consignors may gather and sell goods from their vehicles. The business is open.
• Summit Portable Buildings LLC, 621 S. Kingshighway, is a storage shed and warehouse business owned by Nelson Stutzman. The business opened June 1.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630