Come and stay, and enjoy the coffee experience

There is a lot of meaning behind the simple name – Sago Coffee. This is the coffee shop located in Jacksonville Beach, just off 3rd Street at 7th Avenue North.
When the founders met to determine what to name this new venture, they were working on the principal that it was “for and of the Beaches community.” This would be the third component of 7North, property owned by Beach Church and dedicated to service to this community.
“We love where we live and we wanted to represent this community. What could be more representative of the Beaches,” Casey Sumner said, “than the sago palm tree?”
This name and symbol was chosen to send the message that this business is in service to this community.
Sumner, executive pastor of Beach Church, has theological training and an MBA. He is responsible for the operation of Sago Coffee. He says this combines his “heart for the people and his goal of building relationships.” He added that this is “not a church shop but open to all.”
This is not like other coffee shops. In some ways it looks like the others. People enjoying coffee, working on computers, socializing. All of this currently within CDC guidelines for social distancing.
Sago Coffee is a coffee place with a mission. The words “Coffee - Community - Cause” are prominently displayed on the white walls. The Concord coffee is unique at the Beach as it comes from a coffee roaster in Florida.
“It is a craft experience,” Sumner said. “It is brewed to your order. This experience  is not hurried. Plan to come in and take time to enjoy the experience. That is part of our vision.”
Of course, he added, you can get your order and run if that is your need at the moment.
“One of the advantages of 7North is we have more square footage. This allows you to come and stay.”
The area is open and bright with high ceilings, lots of white and lots of windows. In fact, there are two garage-type doors on the Seventh Avenue side which can be opened on nice days. They open out to the patio seating. In normal times, there is a marble counter where you can sit and watch your order being prepared.
Sago offers a limited food menu which includes sandwiches, pastries and, now, gelato. The most popular items, Sumner reported, are avocado toast and liege waffles. The latter is a sweetened version of the traditional waffle. Tea lovers are also well served here.
Sago Coffee opened Sept. 20, 2019. In these eight months, it has experienced great response then COVID-19 closings and, now, the responsibilities of operating within social distancing guidelines.
“Before opening we had a feasibility study, and this told us to expect a certain number of customers in our first months. We hired staff accordingly, but when we opened we nearly tripled that expectation right away.”
It was encouraging and fun and somewhat crazy. Staff from the church came over to help with the dishes.
“We had 225 to 250 customers a day before the virus. Then, in March, we had to close just like other Beaches businesses.”
Sago Coffee did not fire or release any employees during the shut down.
“We encourage social distancing,” Sumner said. “We observe the 50 percent rule, and have pulled seating out and re-spaced the chairs. We are cleaning continuously and wiping surfaces.”
It was obviously not his favorite choice, but he said they had gone to plastic service wear temporarily. Presentation has been a high focus in the vision of Sago Coffee.
The conference room is another feature in the vision of service to the community. It is available for rent for groups but, if not reserved, the doors are open for individuals who want to study or work quietly. Sumner said he has seen small groups in there having their own meeting. This room is currently closed during this time of social distancing, but he looks forward to its re-opening.
When you visit Sago Coffee now, there may be fewer chairs and tables, but the mission is the same. Coffee and community, as already described and also, “cause.”
How will “cause” be realized? Each quarter, a local service non-profit is selected to receive a percentage of Sago Coffee’s profit. The first cause was Habitat for Humanity, and the second cause, the Donna Foundation. However, Sumner, said, there was no profit to share in that period.
With the reopening, Sago Coffee found new ways to serve the cause. Beaches’ hospital workers are the cause and those working under the threat of the virus are served.
“We have given them 250 pounds of coffee.”
There will be a different local cause each quarter.
The vision for 7North is still growing. Sumner described the fourth component, a mental health resource center, which is in the development stages.
“True North is a separate non-profit with its own board,” he said.
The office will be located behind Sago Coffee.
“There will not be mental health services here. The goal is to alleviate the suffering connected to mental health, both for the sufferer and his or her family. You will be helped to find the services needed. True North will connect and educate.”
For example, it will help families with the fall out when a sufferer is removed from the family.
Sumner’s job is executing that vision. He said that True North has started serving its goals even without the building. That will be coming in the next year or so.
Sago Coffee is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. It is a community gathering place, even in these days of limitation.