One of Arlington's newest coffee shops is offering more than just lattes and pastries. In this month's Arlington Eats, host Andrew Tanielian visits Grounds & Gold — a business on a mission.
The shop, located on Bowen Road, just north of I-20, is co-owned by Maurice Ahern. Ahern's son Micah died from neuroblastoma in 2016 at just 7 years old. Ahern says watching his son's bravery inspired him to a follow a dream.
"He inspired me and taught me things," Ahern said. "I used to let fear cripple me and things, I used to be so much afraid of failure. My son and his life inspired me to go out and do things different."
Grounds & Gold has a full menu of coffee drinks and pastries. You'll also find sandwiches, soups and salads. But the shop is about more than just food and drinks. It's meant to be a community space and includes a small stage, which will one day feature live music. And a portion of each month's sales benefits pediatric cancer research or a nonprofit helping young cancer patients.
"I feel like it's a responsibility. For six years, my family, we reaped the blessings," Ahern explained. Micah was able to live his dream of surfing in Hawaii thanks to Make-A-Wish. And Ahern says he's ready to pay the blessing forward. "To see how happy my son was when he was surfing, that's priceless."
Grounds & Gold is located at 4130 S. Bowen Road. Click here to learn more.
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