MILL VILLAGE – The Riverbank General Store & Café in Mill Village officially launched its custom-labelled Just Us! Coffee blend at the café April 19.
Store manager Nichole Plummer says Riverbank has been selling Just Us! coffee for years in the store and café. She says like Riverbank, Just Us! is a company committed to social responsibility, and Riverbank supports the concept of “buying social.”
The idea for a custom label developed when a staff member saw on ad on the Just Us! website. From there, the Riverbank contacted Vicki Matthews from Just Us! They were then invited to Wolfville to taste different blends to find one well suited for the Riverbank.
Once the selection was made, Riverbank worked with Just Us! on creating the label. About two and a half months later, the new brew arrived.
Plummer says the Just Us! Riverbank Roast, a medium roast, is the house blend in the café.
“So far, our customers seem to enjoy it and it is our hope that they will like it so much they will also purchase the product to make at home,” she added.
It’s been wonderful working with Just Us!, said Plummer. She says the company is committed to fair trade, and they care about people and the partnerships they have with other social enterprises.
Riverbank
The Riverbank is a social enterprise owned and operated by the Queens Association for Supported Living (QASL), a non-profit organization in Queens County, which provides choices and opportunities to people with diverse abilities, explained Treena Dexter, executive director of QASL.
The QASL bought the general store in Mill Village in 2010 and renamed it Riverbank General Store as a way to provide skills training and work opportunities to people facing barriers to employment in a natural setting.
“We believed the store would not only provide skill development and work opportunities for the individuals we serve but would revitalize the community of Mill Village,” said Dexter.
Dexter says the Riverbank provides paid employment and training opportunities to approximately 25 people within its operations.
“Our exceptional staff and trainees not only contribute to the operational success of the business, they are positive role models and mentors for each other – teaching and learning everyday,” said Dexter.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/RiverbankGeneral/ to learn more about the Riverbank General Store & Café.
