Coffee shop vandalized by teens invites community to paint mural: 'Give more second chances'
Teens who vandalized the Nashville coffee apologized, offered to paint, after seeing the post on Facebook
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This mom-and-pop coffee shop brewed up a positive way to turn vandalism into a community art project.
Nashville-based Caliber Coffee husband and wife team of owners Alaina and Keith Schwartz found a fence outside of their parking lot vandalized when they spotted three teens spray painting it in a surveillance video after they closed down for the night on June 11. But instead of calling the cops, the duo found a clever way to remedy the unfortunate situation.
Nashville-based Caliber Coffee responded to vandalism by asking local artists to help paint a mural. (Caliber Coffee Co./Facebook)
"Calling all artists! We are looking for an inspired artist to create a mural at Caliber," the coffee shop posted to its Facebook page.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As business owners we’re going to set the tone and example on how we move forward and how after this past year we come together. We said, Let’s turn this into a positive.’ We really wanted a mural so we said, ‘hey, artists, what do you have?’ Alaina told FOX.
The next day, the owners got an unexpected reply – the teens who spray-painted their property came into the coffee shop to apologize.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"They came back and apologized. Honestly, it was absolutely shocking that they apologized. They came forward and said ‘it was us,’" Alaina, a music teacher and mom of two, said adding that the teens offered to come back and repaint the fence.
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Since then, Alaina who says she and her husband maxed out their credit cards to open up the shop with hopes of turning it into a non-profit, said they’ve received an influx of outreach from neighborhood individuals volunteering to help paint.
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"As business owners, we’re going to set the tone and example on how we move forward and how after this year we come together," she said.