Art House Coffees, a product of Maplewood-based Bridges Community Support Services, is already available at farmers markets, including the Schlafly Bottleworks farmers market.
Bridges offers individualized home and community support services to men and women with physical and cognitive disabilities, according to their website.
Soon, Art House Coffees will offer something unique to the area. Thanks to a dual-powered coffee machine newly delivered from the UK, they’ll be able to pull espresso shots off the grid.
When completed, the push-cart will have an on-board water supply, sink and a water heater able to be powered by LP gas with deep cycle batteries, or plugged in. The push-cart itself will be pieced together from found old tractor parts.
“What’s wonderful about this machine is, it’s going to operate from LP gas and basically a fancy car battery,” Bridges director, Barry Larson said. The cart will start out by showing up at several area farmers markets.
It’s being funded by the Productive Living Board to help create St. Louis County jobs.
“We’re going to pay people at least minimum wage to serve people in this mobil cafe arrangement, and it’s all meant to drive the development of the coffee business itself,” Larson said.
Bridges recently signed a lease to move into the space next to the former Harper’s Pharmacy.
