Pastors Darryl and Kim Thompson of Rock Island’s Embassy Square Mall celebrated the groundbreaking for Wholly Grinds Coffee House on Monday, Nov. 15.
Wholly Grinds Coffee House, at 2409 11th St., will offer a variety of coffees and specialty beverages, such as herbal teas, plant-based shakes, and smoothies, and will strive to support the busy lifestyles of customers seeking healthy and flavorful options to boost energy, strengthen immune response, and improve mental and emotional well-being, according to a Monday release.
Wholly Grinds Coffee House will provide a warm, welcoming environment with wholesome, locally sourced menu options to meet increased local demand. A general contractor has been hired and the business is slated to open in 2022.
Rev. Darryl and Mrs. Kim Thompson, founders of Embassy Square Mall, presided over the groundbreaking, joined by representatives from the Development Association of Rock Island (DARI), the City of Rock Island, Bridge Investment Community Development Corporation, members of House of Fire Ministries, and friends of the local community.
Wholly Grinds is another development sponsored by Embassy Square Mall, which was established over
10 years ago by the Thompsons. Embassy Square exists to foster collaborations that stimulate and strengthen community and economic development. Since 2010, Embassy Square has intentionally sought to help small business owners and attract new commercial tenants and partners.
The Thompsons have made significant investments within Embassy Square Mall for the benefit of the
overall community and region, including inviting a banking presence to the 11th Street corridor and
hosting a Vibrant Credit Union ATM since 2013, the Monday release said.
“We continue working diligently to bring new investment to 11th Street,” Pastor Darryl Thompson said. “Upon presenting our redevelopment dreams and strategies, we have received overwhelming support
from many in the local community, including DARI, Bridge, the city of Rock Island, and especially our
church congregation to help realize the vision God has given. These collaborations are unifying in ways
we can’t describe.”
“Serving as a catalyst to spur spiritual, social, and economic change in the West End of Rock Island has
been our aim all along. We remain strong in our commitment to play our part in redeveloping the West
End and continue praying that more will join us,” Kim Thompson said. “What excites us most is the rich diversity of small business owners and tenants and partners at Embassy Square.
“It has been quite a journey since we started the project in 2010,” she said. “Like every other business owner, we never envisioned a pandemic hitting the entire world in 2020 and that as a result, the mall would be completely shut down for a time — including the largest tenant, which is the church. But God was faithful. Through it all, we stood by our tenants and our tenants stood with us. All have reopened now, and we are truly thankful for that.”
“Through the many strategic partnerships, great things have happened, and we continue expecting
great things,” Kim Thompson said. “This is truly not about us—but about what God is doing through us.”
Once Wholly Grinds Coffee House is up and running, it intends to reinvest in the community by creating
jobs, purchasing organic food and supplies from local vendors, supporting community causes, and
partnering with other businesses and civic entities to continue investment in the region.
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