Hi everyone,

My name is Matt. I’m a Columbia resident, a marketer, and a neighbor who is deeply worried about one of our favorite local Cafes that serves as a peaceful THIRD space for a lot of people: Just Love Coffee Cafe.

If you’ve ever stepped inside, you know it’s so much more than a place to grab a morning brew—it’s a genuine mom-and-pop shop that truly cares about Columbia and hosting a space for people to sit, chat and connect. I’ve spent countless mornings eating breakfast there, ordered delivery while working from home, and attended incredible community events in their space.

But right now, they are struggling to get by...

At a recent event, I caught up with one of the owners. He shared that recent bridge closures across I-70 and intense road construction have completely cut them off from the I-70 Eastbound traffic and a massive portion of their local regulars here in Columbia.

For a local independent business, this dramatic and sudden drop-off that began in April with the removal of the I-70 overpass at exit 131 and will continue into the first of October isn’t just a setback—it’s likely (not potentially) devastating. The cafe's fixed expenses, rent, utilities, wages for employees that depend on them, etc are NOT going down, but the sales have dropped 80% which I have been shown recently and why I'm standing up and cheering for our community to come together.

To exaggerate the closure of the St Charles Road (Lake of the Woods) overpass being close, the PROVIDENCE overpass is also out now which bookends their corridor and while "ripping the band-aid" off was the thought of the City and State of Missouri, the severe impact to the businesses in this section of town were not considered properly.

Just Love Coffee Cafe is at a critical moment this summer and are struggling to cover basic overhead, rent, and payroll for the staff we see every week due to the severe impacts of local construction.

When he told me how dire things have become, I immediately asked how I could help. With total humility, he admitted they just need a financial runway to survive the summer construction chaos and keep the doors open. He said he would love to have a solution but he doesn't even get a paycheck from the stores and works a full time job already to support his own family while the store supports employees and guests.

So, I am launching this fundraiser because we have a family that built a great restaurant for our community and they are transparent and we can show the dismal daily numbers to anyone who donates upon request. Happy to be transparent that t=any funds donated are 100% going directly to the employees and overhead.

Just Love Coffee has always built its identity around giving back to Columbia in the past with donations to local organizations. Now, the tables are turned. and they need our community to give back to them this summer due to massive construction that's lead to a loss of consumer access to their space.

Where Your Donations Will Go:

Every single dollar raised goes directly to the business bank account and the local owners of the two Columbia locations to keep the doors open this summer. Your support will immediately fund:

Emergency rent and utility coverage during the peak road construction months.

Payroll support to ensure their dedicated, hardworking local staff don't lose their livelihoods or have to go find other employment.

Basic operational overhead to bridge the gap until regular traffic patterns are restored this fall.

How You Can Help:

Columbia is a special place because we don't let our neighbors fall through the cracks when things get tough. Let's step up, clear this hurdle together, and make sure Just Love Coffee Cafe is here to serve our community for years to come.

Please ask any questions you may have. This family and myself are wide open. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity, your shares, and your love for CoMo.

— Matt