A local family-owned coffee brand and the Agua Fria Union High School District are teaming up to bring a blend of entrepreneurship, education and arts to the West Valley.
Modern Grind Coffee will open its first indoor, brick-and-mortar location on Oct. 2 inside the new Hilltop Theatre at the historic La Loma Homestead. Located on the second floor of the incoming performing arts venue, the cafe will sit directly alongside a student fine art gallery and feature an outdoor veranda overlooking the valley.
The partnership aims to bridge the gap between local business and public education by transforming the space into a hands-on learning laboratory for students.
"Just getting to work with students and create some new, unique opportunities for them is super exciting for us," said Daphnie Kelly, founder of Modern Grind and a former elementary school teacher. "They can learn the art and the craft... and we will be roasting at that facility."
The new coffee shop is part of a broader revitalization of the 20-acre La Loma Homestead, once the winter retreat of city founder Paul W. Litchfield. Gifted to the city in 2008, the hilltop is being transformed into a cultural and historical hub that includes the Hilltop School for the Arts, a new 10,000-square-foot Maricopa County Library and the P.W. Litchfield Heritage Center Museum.
The center’s two-story, 750-seat theater will open its doors in tandem with Modern Grind on Oct. 2, with classic acts like The Righteous Brothers already booked.
For Kelly, who previously founded a drama program while teaching and grew up playing seven instruments, the project represents a full-circle blending of her past and present. She hopes the facility will bring a highly anticipated level of sophistication to the West Valley community.
"We want this to feel like an East Valley experience, but we're finally bringing that here to the West Valley," Kelly said, describing the aesthetic goal as a "Scottsdale vibe" for high-end entertainment, food and drink. "This is a destination."
Beyond serving traditional espresso, Modern Grind plans to install a commercial coffee roaster inside the facility. The addition will allow the company to roast its own beans for the first time, supplying its existing drive-thru location in Avondale and its mobile coffee trailer.
The roasting operation will double as a classroom. Students will have the opportunity to participate in work-based training programs, learning everything from the science of coffee beans to marketing, barista skills and how to curate and sell artwork displayed in the adjacent gallery.
The evening-heavy schedule of the performance theater also solves a common barrier for local youth employment.
"Typically, it’s a struggle to hire high schoolers because we close early," Kelly said. "But with all of the events there mostly being at night, we’ll finally be able to have high schoolers working."
Agua Fria Union High School District Superintendent Mark Yslas expressed strong enthusiasm for the collaboration, noting that theater patrons will be allowed to carry their Modern Grind food and beverages throughout the gallery and into the venue.
"Our students are going to perform, we're going to bring all kinds of talent and arts and culture to the Southwest Valley," Yslas said. "It's going to be a beautiful partnership."
Modern Grind, which is operated by Kelly alongside her husband Bryan and their children, focuses heavily on local sourcing and community integration. The new indoor location will allow the business to introduce an exclusive menu featuring expanded lunch and beverage options tailored to West Valley residents.
For a business built around community connection, Kelly sees the expansion as a natural progression of their mission.
"I think it's important for us to invest in the community because we're all raising our families together," Kelly said. "Why not make it a better place for everyone living here?"
James Goldmeer Reporter | Goodyear & Litchfield Park
Meet James James Goldmeer joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2024, starting their career as a reporter in Goodyear and Litchfield Park.
Community: James grew up in the West Valley, calling Avondale home and going to school in Glendale and Peoria. Returning to the community after university, James plans to get involved in everything arts and culture, and civil rights.
Education: Northern Arizona University a bachelor's degree in Journalism, a certificate in Professional Communications, with a minor in English.
Random Fact: James spent half a year as an intern for the Arizona House of Representatives communication team, working with legislators to inform the public through press releases and social media.
Hobbies: James collects postcards and old books, reads memoirs and attends local jazz shows.
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