Park Avenue Coffee opened their newest and greenest cafe, located at 5105 Columbia Avenue on The Hill, on April 8, 2014. Microgrid Solar installed 200 solar panels to enable Park Avenue Coffee to operate the cafe and roasting facility at net zero, providing all electricity for the building.
The Microgrid Solar turnkey solar installation provides the energy equivalent to powering 206 personal computers and 1547 CFL light bulbs, along with saving 126 barrels of oil. Similarly, Park Avenue’s coffee roaster, produced by Loring Manufacturing, is 91 percent more efficient than a typical roaster and is completely powered by solar, making Park Avenue the greenest roaster in the Midwest. “We are not doing this for the publicity, we are doing it because it is the right thing to do,” says Dale Schotte, CEO of Park Avenue Coffee.
Sustainability was always on the minds of both Schotte and Talan Cooksey, Marketing Director, in every step of designing Park Avenue’s roasting facility and cafe. From the counter to the windows, the construction relied heavily on repurposed materials. In addition, 80 percent of trash is recycled and composted.
Charles Tompkins director of government services at Microgrid Solar said, “Park Ave Coffee is one of St. Louis’ most beloved local businesses, and Dale has done such a great job with the new location. From the recycled building materials and energy efficient equipment, to the solar array generating all the electricity they need, The Hill is now home to one of the greenest buildings in town, and Microgrid is proud to be a partner.”
The cafe and roasting facility will be the third property Park Avenue Coffee has opened in St. Louis. Locations in Lafayette Square and Downtown have a strong neighborhood and regional following.
