Mudpenny
496 Ada Dr. SE, Ada, MI 49301
On a November day in 2012, Matthew Fuller opened a coffee cart in the lobby of a furniture exhibition building. Customers were fond of the coffee cart, leading to sales growing more every day, and Fuller decided to recruit his friends for a brand expansion. They created a menu with an addition of food and moved on to serving in their own venue named Grace Coffee Bistro in Forest Hills, Mi. In 2016 Grace Coffee was rebranded to the name Mudpenny. The name is inspired by English coffee houses from the 18th century that were called Penny Universities. They were a gathering place for anyone who could pay the entrance fee of a penny. Visitors gathered to hear news reporters come in to yell the news, or lectures on various subjects. The antecedent “mud” derives from the slang word for coffee. Mudpenny takes the name even further by donating 1% of their sales-a penny per dollar- every quarter of the year. In the past few years, Mudpenny has expanded into Grand Rapids and Ada Village.
The owner says his goal is to have laidback excellence.
“Everything we do we do it with excellence, but we want everyone to be comfortable.”
They offer dine in breakfast and brunch, including a galore of vegetarian options. Besides the coffee bar, they also serve cocktails, beer, and wine.
If you plan on going for a coffee walk through Ada, Mudpenny sits just down the street from Brodys Be Cafe.
Brody’s Be Cafe
7267 Thornapple River Dr. SE.
Opening in summer 2019, was Brody’s Be Cafe. Brody’s Be Cafe is distinctive for its heartwarming mood. Owner Jenny Cole’s mission was to provide employment to people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The cafe is a safe place for the disabled to work and be accommodated. Staff is paired with peer coaches for training and support. Cole is a middle school English teacher and mother of three children, including her son with Down syndrome, Brody, whom the cafe is named after.
“What appeared at first to be a very scary and sad time in my life has turned out to be one of my very best blessings,” Cole said. “Brody has taught me so much about compassion and acceptance of all of our abilities and disabilities.”
Brody’s be Cafe has hired many “Be-Ristas,” that serve brewed coffee teas and smoothies.
Nonna’s Pantry
591 Ada Dr. SE, Ada, MI 49301
Nonna’s Pantry makes you feel at home. You might know that feeling when you go to your grandmother’s house and she welcomes you with warm handmade food from her kitchen. The ambience of Nonna’s Pantry is very much that of grandma’s house. Walk into the quaint joint to see a checkerboard floor kitchen with a glass counter displaying a tempting assortment of pastry treats facing a dimly lit dining area. Nonna’s delicious made-from-scratch meals include soups, deli, and pastries. Their recipes are often inspired from their own family’s travels or cookbooks, and began at home in their kitchens. From traditional favorites like meatloaf and chicken pot pie, they take the essential fresh ingredients, and craft them to a unique dish that you won’t find anywhere else. They brew classic coffee drinks such as: Americanos, Cappuccinos, and Macchiatos from Rowster coffee beans.
Jamn’ Bean Coffee Co.
Uncommon Grounds
1100 E Paris Ave SE Suite 8, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Uncommon Ground’s coffee shop in Saugatuck, Mi provides the beans for Brody’s Be Cafe in Ada, so, if you’d like to try more of their house-roasted beans closer to home you’re in luck. There happens to be another Uncommon Grounds coffee roastery on the border of Ada township, where you can explore more of what they have to offer. If you go to coffee shops just to relax, Uncommon has a basket full of books by a fireplace for you to borrow during your stay.