Local donation-based coffee shop becomes space for Trevecca students

By Elizabeth Barnes

Contributor

Just five minutes from campus, a quiet space to read, drink coffee and occasionally meet to chat with friends, Nashville’s first donation-based coffee shop, Crest Coffee House, has become one of senior Kelly Poyo’s go-to spots since freshman year.

“There are always friendly faces there, and it’s a quiet space I can go to to really focus,” said Poyo. “But I also appreciate that they’re going back to ministry, and I’m able to support a local church at the same time.”

Crest Coffee House is located in a refurbished fellowship hall in Hillcrest Community Church, which rests in the heart of the Wedgewood-Houston community. It was founded in the summer of 2018 as a ministry of the church. As Nashville’s first fully donation-based coffee house, Crest has a mission of spreading the love of Jesus to all people and making them feel safe and welcome. Even if some customers don’t feel comfortable attending Sunday morning service, Crest intends to introduce those people to Christian community. 

“Even if they didn’t want to come to church, we still would develop a relationship with them just to have a safe place for them to come to,” said Jackie McDonald, the owner and co-founder of Crest Coffee House. 

Crest is actively serving its purpose as a Christian ministry by donating approximately $15,000 to various needs within the community. Most recently, they gave $400 to provide dinner to Glencliff High School’s football team. The coffee shop has made it possible to reach and witness to many different types of people, from college students to families living in the Wedgewood-Houston area. 

“Coffee shops were the new and upcoming thing, where people would gather,” said McDonald. “We decided that it would be a good option for people in the neighborhood to come in, to meet them, to sit and talk with them, and hopefully introduce them to Jesus.” 

The primary mission of Hillcrest Community Church is to reach others, and the coffee shop opens up an entirely new opportunity for the church to touch the lives of members of the community who otherwise would not enter a church, said Jay Johnson, the pastor of Hillcrest Community Church. 

“The cafe has been a gateway to Hillcrest Community Church,” said Johnson. “We’re able to reach out not just to the students and the colleges around, but the community as a whole as it’s changed over the past two years. It’s truly a gateway to the church.” 

All of the proceeds from the coffee shop are given to service projects, Christian non-profits and members of the community who are in need of financial help. Over the past six years, aside from giving dinner to Glencliff High School’s football team, Crest has donated to single mothers in need of support, replaced a neighbor’s air conditioning unit, and sought out opportunities to serve the Wedgewood-Houston area wherever there is need. 

One of the most important objectives for Hillcrest Community Church is to be a space for groups of believers to come together. In addition to all proceeds going back to the community, there are several Bible studies and various Christian organizations that meet in the coffee shop throughout the week. 

“We have several groups that meet, and that’s one of the biggest things that we wanted to do through Hillcrest Community Church: be a place that’s open for other groups,” said Johnson.

One of the groups that meets in the coffee house building every Wednesday night is a ministry called Teen Dream Center. Teen Dream Center, commonly referred to as TDC, is a local organization that brings inner-city youth into the coffee shop, provides them with a meal, and sets them up with mentors to give them guidance as they transition into adulthood. With the support of Hillcrest Community Church and Crest Coffee House, they now have a space to come together, share dinner and carry out their mission of providing for Nashville teenagers in need. 

The work environment at Crest is one of warmth and community for Hanna Davis, a barista who has been employed at the coffee shop since the summer of 2023. She went to Crest to study when she was a student at Trevecca and was drawn to its quiet, peaceful atmosphere. Now as an employee, she enjoys engaging with customers and hearing their stories. 

“It’s so fun to get to talk to different people coming into the coffee shop,” said Davis. “I feel like I get to meet somebody every week that’s from a different part of the world, and I think that’s so neat.”