Yesterday I had the opportunity to get a sneak peek of the new Foster Coffee Company opening in East Lansing later this month. While I was blown away by the physical space itself—it’s gorgeous—and of course their coffee—it’s delicious—what has stayed with me long after the event ended is how passionate they are about their mission to foster genuine community right here in #LoveLansing. 

SNEAK PEEK

Foster Coffee has two other locations—their flagship location in Owosso and a second one in Flint. Their East Lansing location will open to the public next weekend (mark your calendars!) and is gorgeous inside. It’s extremely spacious, meaning there is ample seating, it’s beautifully decorated (including some gorgeous greenery!) and it’s filled with the most wonderful natural light—which will be ideal for anyone working, studying, or snapping photos. 

They have a ton of merch for sale, ranging from clothing to drinkware and it took a lot of self-control for me to walk out without any branded items. (I already have three of four Foster mugs in rotation and have found them to be perfect for gifts, too!). 

THEIR MISSION + VISION

I love the aesthetics of Foster. From their physical locations to their brand designs and social presence, they knock it out of the park—but more than anything, I love their mission.

 

Foster’s mission is simple but poignant: to “foster communities through coffee.” They do this by partnering with other local businesses, non-profit organizations, and civic entities in order to create overlapping networks that serve people and build stronger relationships within the community.  In short, they’re great people doing wonderful things to bring others together in a meaningful way.

That mission is more than just a tagline. It’s intrinsically baked into every aspect of their business. From the intentionality of the communities they choose to open locations in, to where they source their ingredients from, to the employees they hire, cultivating community and giving back reign supreme—and it shows. 

THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS LOVE

Foster takes a hands-on approach to everything they do. Every small-batch roast of coffee, every shot of espresso, every coffee they brew, and every latte they pour is done by hand. All of their syrups are made in-house from real ingredients—they even make their own almond milk and chai from scratch because, to them, every little detail matters.

They source high-quality coffees from all over the world and roast them in Owosso, Michigan in small batches. Each coffee is unique and their methodology and roast profiles are designed to showcase the enjoyable and distinguishing characteristics each regional coffee has to offer.

Foster offers more than just drinks, though. At the VIP event, they showcased a number of different food options, including their simple green and berry blend smoothie—which can also be made with coconut yogurt for anyone who prefers or requires a vegan option. They sampled Foster’s version of avocado toast which features tomato, mashed avocado, fresh cracked pepper, sea salt, with a dark green garnish on Stone Circle bread, and last, but certainly not least, they offered a number of different baked goods including pumpkin and blueberry muffins, raspberry scones, and vegan coconut cookies.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Foster Coffee Company’s East Lansing location opens next Saturday on Sept. 20, but they’ll be celebrating all weekend. The schedule for opening weekend is as follows:

9/20 – Grand Opening Weekend (8am – 8pm)

9/21 – Grand Opening Weekend (9am – 8pm)

9/22 – Grand Opening Weekend (9am – 6pm)

COFFEE BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER

Foster’s mission is to bring people together and, based on last night, I can tell that they’re going to achieve that goal with no problem. I can’t wait to visit their EL location for client meetings, brainstorming sessions, remote workdays or simply just meeting friends. 

TL;DR

Foster Coffee Company is opening a beautiful new space in East Lansing and you should check it out!