About Us
We love stories because God loves stories and uses them as His primary language. Our shop is owned and operated by Calvary Chapel of Delaware County to serve and love the community of Ardmore and the Greater Philly Area. You are welcome here regardless of your beliefs, and we are happy to chat about any questions you may have about God. We are open as a coffee shop Friday-Sunday 9A-5P with a variety of bible studies, prayer meetings, and other ministry events throughout the week.
The Story is not for profit, as it is connected to a church. We use this space to support a variety of ministries and ministry efforts in our area and rely on donations to continue in our mission. Click the donate button below and select The Story from the dropdown menu to give a one-time or recurring gift.
When you support the Story by purchasing coffee and books here, donating books, or donating to support our mission you support:
Regional Younglife Prayer Meetings
Circuit Riders / YWAM events (annually)
Men’s Bible Study (weekly)
Young Women’s Bible Study (bi-weekly)
Multi-church prayer meetings (monthly)
Faith, Film, Fellowship (monthly)
Alpha (coming 2024)
Water Is Basic (annual fundraiser)
Our building’s history
45 East Lancaster Avenue’s story started before we arrived. The building was most recently the 843 VFW outpost, where it served veterans in the Ardmore area for over 30 years. While incredibly different from our space today, we were thrilled by the opportunity to establish “The Story” in a building already well acquainted with them.
About the space today
The design and curation of The Story was completed by Andrea Cummins-Disbro at Lost Orchid Interiors. Just as each one of us has a story, the furniture, cabinets, and decorative items in the space all have stories of their own. Whether it’s the 1893 upright piano that was built in Philly on Girard Ave by Shomacker & Co., the bar chairs from Romania circa 1923, the wood-carved lion bar front from Jenkintown, the pillars from a house that was built in 1743, or the baseboards from Philly Salvage Co., all of these items share something in common: just when it seemed like their story was over, they were hand picked to be a central character in our space.
Funny enough, this trend did not stop with interior design. Even our espresso machine and coffee grinder were refurbished to be used in this space. There’s just something magical about all these previously discarded, imperfect things coming together to make something effective and beautiful. This approach captures the heart of The Story.
When you enter our space, you will immediately notice the art on our walls. The feature wall behind our coffee bar was hand-painted by artist Carissa Robinson from Creator Studio Philly. Our “Book Wall” was a custom installation by Marina Katko.
Our Baristas
When you come to the story, you’re not simply coming for a cup of coffee. You can get that anywhere. No, you’re coming for an experience. Whether it’s for our sophisticated environment, the boutique coffee we source, or our collection of literary classics, we recognize that you’ve chosen to spend time with us. This is why our staff not only consists of highly trained baristas, but of individuals who are eager to hear your story and discover their part in it.
