Longtime Madison County café has new owners and a fine pastry selection
For more than 25 years, Sacred Grounds Café has been a welcoming place for students, artists, residents and other members of the community.
The longtime coffee house on Edwardsville’s Main Street will continue the tradition as Marc and Christie Fussell carry the torch passed from Kate Baumgartner, who sold the business to the couple in August.
Marc said Baumgartner is working with them to understand the business and learning customer habits and trends.
The Fussells have similar ideas to Baumgartner’s about how to continue operating and improving the business, they said.
Baumgartner could not immediately be reached for comment.
When Baumgartner started thinking about selling the business, she reached out to Fire Starter Coffee Company, according to Marc.
Sacred Grounds currently serves coffee from Fire Starter as well as from Mississippi Mud.
Fire Starter Coffee does its roasting in the commissary of the Fussells’ other business, Pup Kitchen, which makes human-grade, nutritious and all-natural dog food. Fire Starter founder, Jai Kansal, contacted Marc to share the news that Sacred Grounds was available.
Marc said he had an interest then but kept the info to himself for a few weeks.
“Christie didn’t even know,” he said.
Baumgartner later made a post on the café’s social media that she was considering selling the business and anyone with a serious interest should contact her.
Christie saw Baumgartner’s social media post and told Marc.
They wanted a coffee shop for a long time, according to Marc, and saw this as a great opportunity to make that happen.
They bought the café on Aug. 21.
.jpeg "image1 (9).jpeg")
Food is still on the menu
The commissary at the Edwardsville-based Pup Kitchen, 232 S. Buchanan St., is not far from the coffee shop. While the business is focused on making fresh food for dogs, its commercial kitchen is now also being used to make fresh foods for people.
Sacred Grounds has a dedicated pastry chef that works out of the commissary kitchen on Buchanan Street. She works from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., making fresh pastries that are available at Sacred Grounds when the doors open at 7 a.m.
Recent items on offer included Pumpkin Spice Maritozzi, Bacon Cheddar Chive Scones, Blueberry Coffeecake and Browned Butter Cinnamon Rolls.
“Our pastry chef is killing it,” said Marc.
Baked goods are featured on the Sacred Grounds menu, but other food items are available for breakfast and lunch.
Sacred Grounds has a new air curtain merchandiser (open fridge) stocked with grab-and-go items like overnight oats, hummus with veggies and sandwiches.
Kombucha, a fermented black tea drink, will soon be available on tap, according to Marc.
When asked about their own go-to food items, Marc said Baumgartner once made him a cold vegetable sandwich that included pickled carrots and onions, sprouts, chèvre cheese and beets, which were poached to make them sweeter and taste less like dirt, as beets tend to do.
Christie was unable to choose from among the many pastries but said she’s a fan of the avocado toast.
Customers are asking them to bring back previous menu items, including the veggie-friendly beet burger.
The kitchen currently has only one cook station and limited workspace.
Marc said they have one cook on staff. They will look at extending the kitchen’s hours when they hire a second.
The Fussells are present at the café, Marc every day and Christie more often on the weekends.
“We think that’s important [being] really hands-on,” said Christie, who spends a lot of her time at the café behind the scenes learning the work processes.
She recently had the opportunity to make all the pancakes. With no culinary background, it made her day when one customer told her they were the best pancakes he’s had.
Supporting local, in more ways than one
In addition to providing fresh meals made from scratch, the Fussells are committed to giving customers good service.
Christie says their newest endeavor ties their two Edwardsville businesses together as a way to “be local, stay local,” support the community, and “continue in the path of serving our customers.”
The hours at Sacred Grounds were extended to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays as a way to support local students. The music is turned down and consists of more chill tunes. Students can refuel with coffee and food while hitting the books or writing papers. Recently, one customer came in equipped with a sketchbook and drawing tools.
Christie was so impressed with his work that she asked to take a photo of him, which was posted on the business’ Facebook page.
Sacred Grounds supports local artists too. The café’s walls are covered in artwork provided by The Gogh-Getters, a group that features local and national artists. A new Exhibit, “Oracles,” featuring the work of Dave Thomas, opens at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10.
Marc said they are also considering starting an open mic night for readings.
“I’m happy so far” that things are off to a good start, he said.
Marc and Christy agree that the goal is to get the business to the point that people want to be there.
“It’s a continued effort,” said Marc.
Christie’s enjoying getting to know the regular customers, building the relationships and listening to what they want. But their commitment goes beyond the customers that come to Sacred Grounds.
“It’s a community here,” Marc said of Downtown Edwardsville, particularly the businesses on Main Street. “We all support each other as best we can.”
About Sacred Grounds Café
Sacred Grounds, Edwardsville’s first coffee house/restaurant, first opened in 1999 under the ownership of Jenn Courtney.
Over the years, made-from-scratch baked goods and lunches were part of the daily offerings. The business served as both a gathering place and an art gallery, welcoming everyone for more than 20 years.
Unable to bounce back after the COVID pandemic, Courtney planned to close the business at the end of 2020. The business was saved at the 11th hour when Baumgartner took ownership of Sacred Grounds in January 2021. Sacred Grounds reopened that February.
For nearly five years, Baumgartner added to the business, providing more food items consisting of brunch, vegan and gluten-free options. In fall 2022, she launched the School Night Meal Program, providing prepared meals for families and individuals.
Sacred Grounds is located at 233 N. Main St. in Edwardsville. Hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, Friday-Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday and Sunday.
For more info, call 618-692-4150, visit sacredgroundscafe.net or check out the Facebook page.
