A new coffee shop near downtown Kalamazoo is hoping to be open in March.

Called Walnut & Park, for the cross-streets where the coffeehouse will be located, the cafe is being run by KPEP, a agency which provides probation and rehabilitation services.

Coffee and culinary arts will intersect in 2017 as KPEP gets back into the business of food! The new program will combine culinary arts classes for residents and a KPEP-run coffee shop.

This exciting project evolved from a strategic planning session in January 2015, which included several board members and members of the KPEP management team. At that meeting, the planning team agreed that KPEP should explore new vocational programs and the possibility of operating a small restaurant or café.

The coffee will come from Water Street Coffee Joint with muffins and other baked goods served in the morning and grab-and-go sandwiches and salads at lunch.

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