Cross Caffe feeds body and soul
Zoe Minard, left, Aaron Minard, Danny Flanagan and Kelly Minard welcome diners to the Cross Caffe in Strasburg with a cup of joe and messages of hope.
You might say the Cross Caffe in Strasburg has a mission brewing. According to Aaron and Kelly Minard, that mission is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Kelly Minard said patrons needn’t worry. “It’s not that anybody’s standing here telling people all that, but the atmosphere is here,” she said.
The Cross Caffe was established 11 years ago by Paul Mark and Beverly Miller and is owned by Community Bible Church Loving People. The Millers asked the Minards to take over operations about four years ago.
“We met with the Millers, and as they were presenting the cafe and the situation, I’m trying to think of ways to tell them no,” Aaron Minard said. “Number one, we can’t afford to buy this. Number two, I’m a construction guy and learning to be a pastor, and my wife is a broker in real estate, and we’re both very busy.”
The Millers overcame Minard’s first objection, saying they were not interested in selling the business but wanted to give it to the Minards. “I was dumbstruck, speechless, which doesn’t happen often,” Minard said.
The Minards agreed to go home and pray for help with their decision. In the end they said yes, and the Millers presented them with the cafe as a gift, provided it would remain a not-for-profit and the Minards would continue to spread the gospel.
The Minards said their children — Caleb, Zoe and Sierra — played a big part in making the decision. “Our kids spent a lot of time here after school, along with other kids who just kind of hung out until a parent got off work,” Kelly Minard said. “The parents knew they were safe here.”
“Saying yes was also an opportunity to reach people here that won’t come to church,” Aaron Minard said.
Even the coffee at The Cross Caffe has a mission. “Better Life Coffee is a big part of the Cross Caffe,” Aaron Minard said.
The fair-trade coffee bean company supports farmers and their families in Nicaragua by paying a fair price and contributing to other organizations that support Nicaraguan children left orphaned by the coffee industry.
As with other restaurants, the cafe struggled during COVID. Perhaps different from other restaurants, though, is the way the Minards viewed the situation.
“COVID hitting here was like a confirmation of what the Lord’s doing here,” Aaron Minard said.
As schools also were closed, the Minards, with help from the community, used the situation to reach out and feed school children who typically relied on school lunches.
Room to meet and grow
The Cross Caffe has a number of meeting rooms, and they see a great deal of use. From Bible studies and social events to family dinners, work meetings and homeschooling, the cafe bustles with activity.
The cafe also offers a food menu. Kathy Minard credits her brother Danny Flanagan with fine-tuning the menu, which covers breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between.
“I think we might be different in terms of how much food we make and the variety,” Flanagan said. “I think most cafes might just have a few sandwiches, but we have a full menu that’s four pages long.”
Some of the most popular menu items are the breakfast burrito, French toast and salads topped with a secret-recipe house dressing.
Activities and events
Katie Vickers, a family friend, started holding meetings of the Happy Harvesters 4-H Club at the cafe. “I appreciate having somewhere to go that is just a good, positive atmosphere,” Vickers said. “I bring work meetings here too. I think it’s important to support local businesses because those are the people giving back to you.”
Vickers has offered free marketing expertise and is helping organize special events and activities. The cafe just wrapped up its Wii Winter Bowling League and has several events planned including a Spring Small Business Pop-Up, where local businesses can exhibit products and services to cafe customers.
“We have room for about 15-18 vendors,” Vickers said. “People should check out our Facebook page for details and updates on all our events. Or they can call us.”
More to do
The Minards still have a great deal they’d like to accomplish with the Cross Caffe but say the cost of staying open is getting high.
“We’re in sticker shock with the expense of a lot of things,” said Aaron Minard, who is watching the cafe’s equipment age out. “We recently learned the cost of a new espresso machine is $10,000.”
The cafe also is in need of a new sandwich grill.
For now the Cross Caffe keeps feeding body and soul at 201 Second St. NW in Strasburg. They open daily at 7 a.m., except on Sunday. Complete hours of operation can be found on Facebook or by calling 330-600-5740.