Magdalene’s Religious Goods and Coffee Grotto’s meditation room is located on the second floor of the shop. The room is open to all visitors at any time, for anything from prayer to schoolwork. Photos by Blake Bekken
The intersection of 900 East and 2100 South just got a lot more interesting, thanks to a trio of small shops: The Tap Room, Even Stevens and Magdalene Religious Goods and Coffee Grotto.
Besides a variety of teas, coffees and pastries, Magdalene offers a prayer and meditation room upstairs, which co-owner Jacque Smithe said is used for a variety of reasons.
“We’re fine with it,” she said. “People take their laptops up because it’s just a quiet space and its kinda, you know, serene.”
The peaceful feeling of the meditation room is present throughout Magdalene, which is home to soft couches, chairs and religious music.
Right next door is Even Stevens, which features sandwiches, salads, breakfast and brunch with a side of charity. Even Stevens uses a portion of its sales to donate sandwiches to local non-profits.
Customers wait in line to enjoy their sandwiches from Even Stevens, which gives a portion of its sales to local nonprofits.
In addition, visitors on Thursday and Friday evenings or Sundays at noon can catch some live, local music.
Both Magdalene and Even Stevens are located at 2030 South 900 E. Tucked away behind them is the almost-hidden entrance to the Tap Room, located at 2021 S. Windsor Street.
At the Tap Room, visitors will be in close quarters, but it packs a punch, according to customer Brian Short.
“The place is tiny, but you can’t beat it on Trivia Night,” Short said.
The Tap Room hosts Trivia Night every Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. through Geeks Who Drink. Geeks Who Drink quizzes cover everything from pop-culture to the song that “only your mom likes.”
