Berea Coffee and Tea opened its doors nearly 20 years ago in the space formerly occupied by the Porter Moore drugstore. Porter Moore, dating back to the 1950s, also shared the current spirit of our BC&T, a place where locals and visiting guests alike can enter and feel welcomed and relaxed. BC&T remains a focal point of College Square in the Berea College network and plays host to people from around the country and the world.
Berea Coffee and Tea Co Store Front
We have made many changes to our store over the years, especially in recent times. The changes have spanned our layout and paint choice, to new tile and ambient lighting. We were certified in 2007 as a “Green Restaurant”, the first coffee shop in Kentucky to achieve that distinction. Although we did not renew our membership with the governing organization, our commitment to environmental responsibility has grown even stronger. We are commited to:
- Saving water by using faucet aerators and low flow toilets.
- Saving electricity by using energy efficient light fixtures and bulbs.
- Supporting living wages for coffee farmers by only serving Fair Trade coffees.
- Respecting the environment by serving only Organic coffees, even our flavored coffee choices.
- Reducing waste by using biodegradable or compostable to-go products.
- Participating in comprehensive recycling programs.
- Sharing our coffee grounds with our customers for their use in garderns.
- Using toilet paper and napkins with high levels of post consumer recycled content.
- Pledging to never purchase or use styrofoam.
- Providing customers with local, vegetarian and organic food options.
We worked quite hard in creating this and are proud to say we still strive to do well and be good, just simply trying to make each day a little better than the last.
There are many joys, not only to working here, but being a patron. From our lush and quiet back patio to the casual artistic interior, there are many places to rest and visit for hours. You can always count on walking through the door and feeling a sense of vibrancy and openness, being met by a gentle charismatic staff, wonderful scents of food and drink and the assurance that, if you sit long enough, you will see a friend walk through the doors. See you soon and thanks for the memories.
