Coffee shop in Fuquay-Varina helping with community food needs gets visit from NC congressman

FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C. (WNCN) — Congressman Brad Knott visited Fuquay-Varina as he continues to highlight small businesses in his district, but Wednesday he’s focusing on a business that’s especially meaningful as Thanksgiving rolls around.

The Congressman visited Cultivate Coffee Roasters, a coffee shop that’s been around for years. They offer up the classic menu items you’d expect like lattes and pastries, but also something else.

The owners run a delivery style food pantry inside of the coffee shop to help people in need year-round.

“We decided to just kind of start doing our own thing where, when people come in here, they can donate and we’ll take that money and buy groceries for people in our community that are in need. Ben Somerville, owner of Cultivated Coffee Roasters. “Typically it’s a temporary thing, somebody’s out of work, or got injured or something like that, but we were really surprised by the amount of applicants we got for that.”

One of the owners said they wanted to find a way for their customers to connect back to their own community.

Knott called it a chance for people to talk to one another, and connect.

“When you look at all the problems in Washington, we would all do better to slow down and talk to one another, and that’s what this venue offers this community,” Knott said. “A place to slow down, catch up, whether you disagree or agree, face to face conversations in long form are healthy.”

If you want to donate food, the owners said they’re always accepting nonperishable food or gift cards.