STĀ is a new internet café across the street from Towers Complex.
The café, owned and operated by Julie Malone in a partnership with St. Andrew Lutheran Church, opened in July. Malone hopes to connect Southeast Missouri State University students and other members of the community with the church and each other.
“We want everybody to feel welcome, we want everybody to feel that they can walk through the door and not be judged and not have to worry about the common error of people,” Malone said. “We want them to be happy and feel like they belong here.”
That sense of belonging Malone hopes to provide inspired the café’s motto: “Eat. Drink. Belong.”
Malone hopes people will be able to connect with community members they wouldn’t otherwise meet while allowing patrons to give back to the community.
Malone has been in the restaurant business for years and attended culinary school in 2009.
Most of the food at STĀ is made in-house from natural ingredients. The menu offers many vegetarian and gluten-free options, and vegan options are in the works.
Besides offering fresh food and a welcoming environment, STĀ is dedicated to giving back to the community it serves. The café has a prayer wall where patrons can write down prayer and praise requests and, instead of a tip jar, a “Pay It Forward” jar is available for guests to donate to local causes. Money from the jar already has been donated to the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, the Safe House for Women and the Backpacks for Friday program, which discreetly provides backpacks packed with meals for kids to take home on weekends. Funds also were donated to Blanchard Elementary for school supplies.
Even the brand of coffee STĀ serves is meant to give back. Three Avocados coffee is a not-for-profit company based in St. Louis. All of the beans are harvested in Africa and the proceeds go back to the growing communities there for education and clean water projects.
“We call it coffee with a cause,” Malone said.
STĀ offers a number of events, such as Taco Wednesday, where tacos are served all day beginning at 11 a.m., and new tacos are featured every week. Worship meetings will begin Oct. 2 and will be offered at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays.
Malone is hoping to provide opportunities for Southeast students to perform and display artwork.
Students wanting to learn more about STĀ can expect to see Malone at events such as the Move-In Bash, Welcome Back Picnic and Student Involvement Fair.
STĀ is located at 820 Sprigg St. across the street from Towers next to Café N Me.
