Mosaic, a community coffeehouse and ministry of Seattle First Church of the Nazarene, opened its doors to the public last Saturday, March 31, in the Wallingford neighborhood.
And when Mosaic opened its doors, it literally welcomed everyone in the community, even those who couldn't afford to purchase a coffee.
TAKING IN, GIVING BACK
The coffeehouse, at 4401 Second Ave. N.E. behind Dick's Drive-In Restaurant on Northeast 45th Street, provides a unique experience to its visitors. While Mosaic offers many of the same drinks and food products as other coffee houses in the area, it has no fixed prices.
The hope, Mark Woodward, pastor of Seattle First Church of the Nazarene, explained, is that even those who cannot afford a coffee will still feel they are welcome at Mosaic.
"We are trusting that, while some people cannot afford to pay, others will give a little bit more than they usually would," Mosaic director Tim Smith said. "It really goes back to our mission of who we want to be for this community."
Smith explained that Mosaic has a tip jar where, each month, 60 percent of the tips are donated to a different outside organization (this month, it's Boyer Children's Clinic, a thera-py and early childhood education facility for chidlren with neuromuscular disorders), and 40 percent of the tips are put toward community activities for the coffeehouse.
A LONG-STANDING VISION
While Mosaic opened just last Saturday, the idea for the coffeehouse has been brewing in the minds of pastors Woodward and Smith for some time.
"One of my passions has always been to open up a coffeehouse near a university," Smith explained. "About a year ago, I started sharing my visions and dreams with the church, and last year, we began the process."
Mosaic was also inspired, Woodward said, by other Seattle-area nonprofit coffeehouses such as the Green Bean in Greenwood and Q Café in Ballard. "I loved the embrace they provided to their local communities," Woodward said.
A storm last May, however, halted the construction of Mosaic. Smith explained that the coffeehouse was originally slated to open last Oct. 1. But when 3 inches of water flooded the space where construction for Mosaic was to begin, all of the furniture and other supplies for the coffeehouse were ruined.
The city and a few private donations funded replacement of the ruined furniture and renovation of the space, allowing Mosaic to continue construction.
A FOCUS ON COMMUNITY
Bringing the community together and catering to the local needs of people in the area appears to be Mosaic's main focus. The philosophy, as Woodward explained it, is simply to "come, have a great product and get to know your neighbors."
Mosaic is a place, Woodward said, "for neighbors to be neighbors, and a place for families and students alike."
The local focus can also be seen through the artwork at Mosaic: Its walls are covered with work from Seattle-area artists.
Mosaic also provides a stage for local musicians to perform, a den for conferences and meetings, free WiFi and a room creatively named Demitasse (French for a "small cup of coffee"), where parents can come with kids and socialize with other families in a child-friendly environment.
With its location only blocks away from the University of Washington, and directly in the heart of Wallingford, home to many families, Woodward and Smith expressed that they hope students and young families take advantage of all that Mosaic has to offer.
"We want people to come [to Mosaic], sit at a table and share life together," Smith said.
Woodward added, "It's about time communities of faith gave back to their communities - we are doing that."
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