Coffee Cart a Stimulant for School Art

It’s never too latte for dreams to come true.
Shug’s Coffee Cart, a coffee concept with a goal of giving back to local arts programs, is celebrating its opening at on Sunday, May 21 at McDowell Market.
Forty percent of the proceeds from the opening event, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will be donated to local public school arts programs. Other McDowell Market shops, Palabras Bilingual Bookstore and Galeana 39, will also take part in the opening by offering special deals to those who have visited Shug’s.
“I am excited to bring a unique coffee offering to my neighborhood of Coronado,” said owner Mercedes Murrieta. “I have been a barista and a music teacher for a decade and being able to bring my two passions together and serve students and teachers in our community is a dream come true.”
Shug’s will offer a complete menu with pour-over coffee, espresso beverages, cold brew and kid-friendly Italian sodas. Coffee will be brewed with beans provided by local roasters – Xanadu Coffee Company and Espressions Coffee Roastery. Normal business hours will be seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
To further Murrieta’s goal of helping to support local arts programs for students, she will offer special deals to customers who support performing and visual arts programs in schools through the purchase of special menu offerings.
Later this year, the cart will also be available to local public schools to book at school activities, such as orchestra and band concerts. Thirty percent of proceeds will then be donated directly back to the school’s performance and visual arts programs.
“As a music teacher, I know first-hand how challenging it is for teachers to raise money for their programs within the school,” said Murrieta. “Shug’s Coffee will be a simpler way for teachers to fundraise, bringing delicious coffee and kid-friendly drinks to students, parents and other visitors at school events.”