River Avenue, between 158th and 153rd streets, has been under development for at least 20 years with the additions of the Bronx Terminal Mall, a skate park, residential buildings and small businesses. Now, a new coffee shop is calling the area home, as well.
The Clubhouse Café at 812 River Ave., near Yankee Stadium, is a new venture by South Bronx United (SBU) – an organization providing academic support, mentoring, workforce development and more to youth through the lens of soccer since 2009 and serving about 1,600 middle and high school students a year.
In October 2022, SBU opened its clubhouse at 814 River Ave., the residential building above the café, and after one year of planning and a soft opening for friends and family over the weekend, the Clubhouse Café officially opened for business on Monday, Jan. 8.
“We have two paths [to job training],” said Andrew So, founder and executive director of SBU.
One is through the soccer programs which were the genesis of SBU in which members of the program learn to be coaches and mentors. Yet, So was still thinking of other ways to provide the 16-24-year-olds of SBU with real-world job experience.
“It’s kind of a perfect fit to develop a café,” he added.
Three employees work the café under the supervision of head barista Diamonique Edwards, who has spent her entire professional career in the food industry. They serve several treats of cookies, croissants and muffins provided by Mottley Kitchen of Mott Haven, tea by Harney & Sons and coffee by Devocion — a company founded by Colombian-born Steve Sutton and based in Brooklyn which prides itself on being able to provide coffee from bean to brew faster than your average shop. It also sells SBU merchandise, including jerseys and reusable coffee cups.
The small coffee shop features murals of positive messages like, “bring integrity” and “be true 2 you” and is the only one of its kind serving the community. For residents who live along River Avenue, it’s the only place where they can grab a “cup of joe” before boarding the train at 161st Street or the bus along 149th Street without having to veer elsewhere.
“I feel excited,” said employee and SBU alumna, Karla Ruiz, 25, who was taking orders at the café’s “friends and family” day on Friday, Jan. 5. “I know it’s something that we’ve been looking forward to, especially because we’ve had so many delays.”
South Bronx United also offers an academy that serves 200 students annually where they can practice academics and receive college prep courses.
“It’s really amazing” said Kaylee Flores, 18, alumn of SBU and employee at Clubhouse Cafe. “It’s helping with family issues and here at school. It’s a better opportunity.”
Flores joined SBU in 2020 and is presently a student of John Jay College studying Law & Society. And Flores isn’t the only success story.
According to their website, members of SBU have a 100% high school graduation rate and 94% enroll into college with 55% earning a bachelor’s degree, compared to 22% boroughwide according to the 2022 U.S. Census.
“We’re just really excited to open our doors to the community and have a spot that folks can come in and feel like it’s their own,” said So. “Our goal is to bring our mission and impact to the broader community so everyone kind of knows what we’re about.”
Reach ET Rodriguez at etrodriguez317@gmail.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
