Walk into 647 Virginia Avenue on a Tuesday morning and you’ll hear the same thing. The hiss of a steam wand. The low hum of a 5K US Roaster.
But there’s something else. It’s a feeling.
Most coffee shops feel like a transaction. You give them five bucks, they give you a caffeinated bean-juice, and you leave so the next person can sit down. Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company is different. It’s weird, actually. In an era where "community" is a marketing buzzword used by giant corporations to sell plastic pods, this place actually lives it.
They don’t just serve coffee. They're a nonprofit. Sorta.
Actually, let’s be precise: the shop operates as a business that funnels its lifeblood—the profit—into a dedicated charitable foundation. Since 2009, they’ve been the heartbeat of the Fletcher Place neighborhood in Indianapolis.
The Weird History of the Two Jeffs
You’d think a specialty coffee roastery was started by a couple of snobby baristas with waxed mustaches. Nope.
It was a father-son duo, Doug and Jeff Litsey. Back in 2009, neither of them were even coffee drinkers. Can you imagine? Starting a coffee shop when you don’t even like the product?
Doug was a pastor. He wanted a "third place"—that sociological concept of a spot that isn't home and isn't work, but where you actually know your neighbors. Jeff was teaching English in Asia, falling in love with the communal tea houses there. They mashed those ideas together and named the place after Calvin Fletcher, a 19th-century lawyer and philanthropist who basically owned this part of Indy way back when.
💡 You might also like: Human DNA Found in Hot Dogs: What Really Happened and Why You Shouldn’t Panic
Why the Nonprofit Model Changed in 2025
For years, if you walked into Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company, the tip jar and the "profit of the month" went to a rotating list of tiny local charities. It was great. It helped a lot of people.
But honestly, it was a bit scattered.
Starting in 2025, the Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company Charitable Foundation shifted gears. Instead of a new charity every month, they now pick one primary partner for the entire year. This year, it’s Exodus Refugee.
By focusing on one partner, they can do more than just write a check. They raise awareness. They sell t-shirts. They host events. They actually move the needle for a single cause rather than just sprinkling a little help everywhere. It’s a deeper level of commitment that most businesses wouldn't touch because it’s "bad for branding" to pick sides or get too deep into social issues.
The Litseys don't care about that. They care about people.
What’s Actually in the Cup?
Okay, let's talk about the beans. You can have the best heart in the world, but if your coffee tastes like battery acid, nobody is coming back.
They started roasting their own in 2016. They use a US Roaster Corp machine and they don't mess around with the sourcing. You’ll find single-origin beans from places like the Mexico Chiapas Grapos Cooperative or the Rwanda Kopakaki-DuteguRe Cooperative.
📖 Related: The Gospel of Matthew: What Most People Get Wrong About the First Book of the New Testament
- The Calvin Pepper: This is the legendary drink. It’s a cappuccino with honey and cayenne pepper. It sounds like it shouldn't work. It works.
- The Cardinal: Another fan favorite.
- The Masala Latte: Sweet, spicy, and actually made with real ingredients, not just a pump of syrup from a plastic bottle.
The baristas here are legit. One of them even placed fourth in a national brewing competition recently. They know their $V60$ from their Chemex. But they aren’t jerks about it. You can ask for a "regular coffee" and they won't roll their eyes.
The Living Room of Fletcher Place
The vibe inside is... cluttered. In a good way.
Local art covers the walls. There are flyers for lost cats, music lessons, and neighborhood meetings. It’s the opposite of the "minimalist-industrial-gray" look that every other modern coffee shop has adopted.
You’ll see college students from IUPUI (now IU Indy) hunched over laptops next to old-timers who have lived in the neighborhood since before it was cool. It’s loud. It’s busy. It’s vibrant.
No Tips? No Problem.
Here’s a detail most people miss: they pay a livable wage.
At most shops, the staff relies on your $20%$ tip to pay rent. At Calvin Fletcher’s, the goal is to pay a base wage that makes those tips a bonus or, better yet, redirects that generosity back into the foundation. It’s a business model built on the radical idea that employees are humans, not overhead.
Misconceptions and Reality Checks
People often hear "nonprofit coffee" and assume it’s a hobby.
👉 See also: God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise: The True Story Behind the Phrase Most People Get Wrong
"Oh, it must be volunteer-run."
No. It’s a professional roastery. They sell beans to some of the best restaurants in the city, like Bluebeard and Wildwood Market. They are competing with the big boys on quality while outclassing them on ethics.
Another thing? It’s not a "church" coffee shop. While Doug’s background is in the ministry, the shop is fiercely inclusive. Their motto "All Are Welcome" is printed right on the door, and they mean it. It’s a secular space built on spiritual values of kindness and hospitality.
How to Actually Support the Mission
If you’re in Indianapolis, or just passing through on I-65, you need to stop here. But don't just buy a latte and leave.
- Check the partner of the year: Look at the signs. See what Exodus Refugee is doing.
- Buy a bag of beans: Roasting is where the margins are. Buying a bag of the "Fletcher Place Blend" does more for their mission than just buying a single cup.
- Use the QR codes: They have direct donation links for the foundation. If you’re feeling flush, skip the extra syrup and give five bucks to the charity partner instead.
Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company is proof that you don't have to be a cutthroat capitalist to survive in a competitive market. You just have to be a good neighbor.
Go for the Calvin Pepper. Stay for the people.
To support their current mission, visit the shop at 647 Virginia Ave or check out their foundation’s website to see how the "Profit for People" model is changing Indianapolis one cup at a time.