Student idea brings Kuppa Joy coffee to Fresno Pacific University

A student idea at Fresno Pacific University turned into a campus service change with daily impact: Kuppa Joy coffee is now being served at Charlotte’s Coffee Corner after Madison Kennedy noticed the university’s coffee contract was ending and pushed the local brand as a replacement. What began as a casual suggestion during a campus conversation now shapes where students study, meet and grab coffee between classes.

Kennedy said the idea came up in May 2025 during commencement, while she was talking with staff between the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies about Charlotte’s Coffee Corner and the possibility of finding a new vendor. She had started working at Kuppa Joy in April 2025 and told staff, “Hey, I work at Kuppa Joy! Maybe they could provide our coffee?” Jake Gilbertson, Fresno Pacific’s vice president of student development, quickly saw the fit between a Christian coffee shop and a Christian university, and Kennedy left the conversation with permission to pursue it.

From there, Kennedy texted Kuppa Joy founder Zack Follett, who responded the same day and agreed to explore the opportunity. University staff later trained for about a month to prepare and serve the drinks, turning the pitch into a working campus operation. Fresno Pacific announced the partnership during Fall Kickoff, using a Kuppa Joy Hallelujah drink in the reveal with President André Stephens.

The coffee counter now operates as part of FPU Dining Services at Charlotte’s Coffee Corner, with hours listed as Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and closed on weekends. For a university that enrolled 2,944 students in fall 2025, including 822 traditional undergraduates, 754 bachelor’s degree completion students and 1,368 graduate students, a reliable coffee stop is part of the daily rhythm of campus life.

The partnership also ties Fresno Pacific more closely to a Central Valley brand that has grown well beyond its start. Kuppa Joy says it was founded in 2012, when Follett, a former professional football player, felt called to open a coffee shop after reading Romans 8:1 in a Costa Coffee shop in Great Marlow, United Kingdom. The company now lists locations in Clovis, Fresno, Kingsburg, Madera and the Visalia area.

For Kennedy, who has since graduated, the result is more than a menu change. A student conversation helped steer a campus decision, and Fresno Pacific now has a visible example of how quickly student input can move from idea to implementation when administrators are willing to act.