GUELPH -- ‘The Daily Grind 519’ has become a one stop shop to find the best coffee in the area as well as give back to the community.

Andrew Jones of Guelph is a career construction worker who says his coffee is an essential party of the day. As he was looking online for the best cup in the area, he noticed a gap.

“I realized there wasn’t a one stop shop for fresh, locally roasted coffee in the 519,” said Jones. “So I created it.”

He founded The Daily Grind 519 in May 2020 with his wife. The website acts as a hub to find local roasters not just in the 519 area code, but all across Ontario.

The owners of Cavan Coffee and Lost Aviator Coffee Company in Guelph say the opportunity Jones presented them with was perfect for them.

“We were only open three months when COVID-19 started,” said Rufus Cavan, a co-owner of Cavan. “We’re a very small business, so when Andrew came by and said we had an option to sell coffee on the internet it was a big deal for us.”

Jones has also partnered with groups like the West Willow Village Co-op who are looking to put a community garden back in the neighbourhood they grew up in.

“Andrew has a great relationship to our neighbourhood having grown up here and has a sincere passion about giving back to the community,” said Linda Busuttil, the GM of the co-op. “He really gets us and he really understands how much need there is here.”

A portion of the proceeds from the website go to the co-op and Michael House. As a thank you to first responders, they also help deliver coffee to six fire stations in Cambridge.

“Coffee is love, coffee is community, coffee is so many things,” said Jones. “It’s the fuel to my fire.”