By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
November 15, 2011

Mercy. That’s the meaning behind the name Eleos Coffee.

It’s not a corporate coffeehouse out to empty the pockets of customers, but one that yearns to serve great coffee and create a better Northeast.

Last month, Eleos Coffee opened in Northeast at 3401 Independence Ave. Its motto is “Great coffee… making a difference.”

And not just a difference in your taste buds.

“This all really came about because we want to make a bigger impact in the lives of people and really people that are needy,” Eleos Coffee Owner Dan Smith said. “I just became very burdened for people that have not had the opportunities, that have been overlooked, that have been outcast. I wanted to do something that would be significant in their lives.”

A coffeehouse was the place to start, he said.

“I’ve always been intrigued by coffeehouses because they’re really relational places,” Smith said.

Wanting to give back isn’t a stretch for Smith. Until the age of 9, he lived in Mexico where his parents served as missionaries.

“It was just a great way to start life from my opinion because you get a real sense of other cultures,” he said. “There was a lot of poverty in Mexico, so I saw a lot of need.”

Following high school graduation, he earned a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and later a master’s in music from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Lucky No. 7
As far as his career, it’s come in the form of sevens.

For seven years, Smith worked as a music director at Blue Ridge Bible Church in Raytown, Mo., followed by seven years of touring across the U.S. with his wife. Collaborating their musical talents, they performed Christian concerts in churches and other organizations. He wasn’t just performing with his wife, he was performing with his best friend, he said.

“It was a blast. It was a lot of fun,” he said of touring. “But once we started having kids, loading up a motor home and changing diapers on the road, it was too difficult.”

So, they decided to concentrate on raising a family and moved to the Olathe, Kan., area, where Smith directed music at Olathe Bible Church. He worked there for seven years before moving to Historic Northeast to launch his coffeehouse.

Smith first learned about Historic Northeast two years ago when a friend gave him a tour.

“I thought, ‘I don’t ever envision myself living here.’ But, that was two years ago before I had this vision,” he said. “I was driving around the city about a year ago and I was reintroduced to the Northeast and it’s hard to describe, but it was like, ‘This is it. This is exactly where I need to be.'”

Although this is his first coffeehouse to operate, Smith isn’t new to the coffee scene. He worked as a barista at Westport Coffeehouse, where he learned the techniques of brewing coffee and the qualities that make a coffeehouse successful.

Inside, the coffeehouse exudes a cozy atmosphere and the staff is always friendly. The chalkboard paint menu is filled with a variety of paninis, wraps, breakfast and espresso options. Some items are named after Northeast, like the Independence Ave. Panini, which is filled with turkey, pepperoni, cream cheese, red onions, lettuce, tomato and mozzarella cheese. Then, there’s the Northeast Wrap, which contains artichoke hearts and other goodies. On one wall, a friend painted a silhouette of the Kansas City skyline and another wall features the simplicity of Ethiopian huts. Painted ceiling tiles above the kitchen feature bold and abstract artwork. In the future, Smith hopes to fill one of the blank walls with black and white photographs of Northeast taken by local photographers. His goal is to reflect the diverse culture of Northeast.

Each cup o’ joe is certified organic, he said, and is pesticide and herbicide-free. To draw out the natural flavors, each type of specialty coffee is uniquely roasted, he said.

“It’s an art,” he said of roasting and brewing coffee. “It’s coffee from around the world, but I feel like it’s born here because we’re the ones bringing it to life.”

Giving back
In addition to providing a cozy hangout, Eleos Coffee wants to give back to the Northeast community.

Eleos volunteers have already sought out the homeless and distributed drawstring bags filled with hygiene products and non-perishable foods.

“We want to become a conduit. There’s so many resources here. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel,” he said.

That’s why Eleos Coffee is working to partner with area organizations to connect residents to resources they need. In addition, Smith wants to provide the “relational piece” of helping residents recover from addictions like alcohol, drugs or prostitution.

“They have to make the decision for themselves, but we want to be as much of an encouragement to them as we can,” he said. “We have a lot of volunteers at the coffeehouse that love people. If someone wants help, then we’ll do our best to stay in touch with them and be that friend.”

Every Monday night from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. the coffeehouse hosts English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, which offers conversational English in a relaxed atmosphere.

As for other ways of giving back to the community, Smith plans to listen to the needs of Northeast residents and go from there.

Asked about his goals for the coffeehouse, Smith said, “We really want this to be a place where people enjoy hanging out with a great cup of coffee, knowing that we’re making a difference in the community.”