Doubting Thomas Cafe is awesome! Kokomo has a few good coffee shops, & this is number 1.
Starting with the place, it is great. It is a place with a purpose. The cafe is inside Cross America Community Center (btw, never been through the drive-thru) which has a mission of letting people know about Jesus Christ, in a non-confrontational, casual, free to listen or not way. Cross America makes & sends out mailers to any, & all, addresses in America, regardless, of faith, or atheism. Who doesn't like a person offering forgiveness, hope, grace, & love? There is no person at your door. It is not a local church wanting you to attend. Read if you want, don't if you don't. Countless people know the priceless love of Jesus. But. if that's not for you, Cross America respects that. Just toss the mailer away, or give it to someone else, if you want.
But, that's not all the place has to offer. It offers a great place to sit. You can sit & do nothing but take in the music & view, drink coffee, eat, meet with friends, do school work, read a book, etc. The place is real family & fellowship friendly. There is a context of church to the place. The place is huge & offers private small rooms, bigger rooms, & an auditorium. Not sure if churches or church groups rent the bigger areas, but I have used a small room for a men's group for free. It does also have the feel of a coffee shop where you sit in the big open area (tables, chairs, couches), or the bar, as you would any other cafe, coffee shop, or fast food. I do believe that if you are making a point to be there at a certain time to do something specific, other than coffee shop stuff, you should call ahead to make sure they can accommodate you. The place does get full at times.
One thing that is pretty cool about sitting in the place is that Cross America provides something to do. If you want. There is never any pressure here, at all. They provide that people, & kids, can make the mailers they send out. At anytime you want to make mailers you can. I have seen single people, families, & groups doing it. All the components are easily found & instructions are on the tables, or simply ask for help & someone will get you started. If you are a crafting person, like to puzzle, need to be doing something, like to play games, etc. this activity is very fulfilling. You can socialize & do it, too. Plus, you're helping put out the Christmas Nativity all year round.
Bottom line, the ambience is kind of like a library that, sometimes, can get a little loud like a restaurant. But, it is great for fellowship.
The cafe offers great coffee & drinks, plus sandwiches & desserts. The coffee drinks & food are fabulous. I have not had anything bad to eat or drink here, down to even their water. The waffles are great. The wraps are awesome, made to order, & huge. Surprisingly better than Jimmy Johns. I don't remember the brand, but I had the best cheddar sour cream potato chips there.
The coffee is great! I have had several of their specials. Iced & hot, they are great.
The staff are great people. As far as I have seen, they know what they are doing. They make good quality food & drinks, & keep the place clean. Cleanest coffee shop in town. They always have been nice & accommodating. They are not perfect, but neither am I. They have always been understanding, thankful, & apologetic if needed. Very willing to meet the need.
One draw back. The place can be a little overwhelming. It's not the easiest flow of traffic to maneuver. When you come in the doors, you might not know where you are going. There is a hallway going right, & to the left you open up to a small store of merch. This is the cafe. The store then opens to the big dining/fellowship area. The Doubting Thomas counter, where you order, is slightly hidden on the side opposite the entrance to the store merch. Plus, it has many different areas, side rooms, a bar, & even a baptistry. The place is very interesting to walk through & get to know, but not easy to get where you need, if you are not familiar. The staff, owners, & managers could understand this better. Some professionalism is needed. Maybe, occasionally, ask if a person needs anything. Maybe, greet people & ask if they need any help getting where they want/need to go. Be aware of people leaving to say good-bye, thanks for stopping in, hope to see you next time, etc. Watch for customers wanting to order. Don't rely on them to ring the bell. Acknowledge them, especially, if the staff can't stop what they are doing, let them know they will be helped shortly. This sounds a bigger deal than it is. It's not like they just purposely hide from you. My point is to take being overwhelmed out of it, that's all.
All in all, Doubting Thomas is a great experience. All are welcome. I have always felt appreciated & have always had a good time. read more