A long-awaited project more than two years in the making is finally here!
The idea began percolating in early 2017. Two UMBC courses, more than 40 students, and countless local partners, contributors, and supporters later, OCA Mocha a catalyst that will more closely connect UMBC and its surrounding communities. What originally started out as a question raised by local business and community groups and the UMBC administration has now been answered by UMBC students. “How can we make Arbutus into a college town?” A coffee shop? A community engagement center? Well, how about a mix of both?
Here’s how a group of students, with support from partners from UMBC and the local community, were able to take the next step toward creating a college town together.
UMBC President’s Council Tours Arbutus
June 7, 2016
School president Freeman Hrabowski, his President’s Council, and community leaders took a bus tour of Arbutus, turning what was an idea of creating a college town into a larger discussion.
Start of the First Class, ENTR 340
January 31, 2017
ENTR 340: Innovation, Creative Problem Solving, and the Socialpreneur, was the first class during which the ideas that became OCA Mocha were discussed, and the class toured Arbutus. Instructor Gib Mason '95, along with student co-founders Deep Patel '19 and Michael Berardi '19, have been involved with the OCA Mocha team since that original class.
Students Pitch OCA Mocha Idea to President Hrabowski
May 9, 2017
After extensive research and debate, students proposed opening a combined office of community affairs/coffee shop where members of the UMBC and local communities could gather to interact with and learn from each other, enjoy some coffee and live entertainment, and attend university- and community-sponsored events. The students named the project OCA Mocha, and after a long semester of work, they pitched their idea for OCA Mocha as the catalyst for the evolution of a college town to President Hrabowski and his President’s Council.
Start of the Second Class, FYS 102
September 2, 2017
FYS 102: Creativity, Innovation & Invention, was a class of 19 students that split up into four groups: Product Development, Marketing & Sales, Legal & Patent, and Business & Finance, to continue developing plans for OCA Mocha.
Students Make Final Presentation at Arbutus Town Hall
December 12, 2017
After a semester of hard work turning what was just an idea into a reality, the class presented their revised plan to President Hrabowski, and members of the UMBC and local communities.
Lease Signed
March 15, 2018
The lease for 5410 East Drive was finalized with building owner, Steve Moran FSJ, Inc.; OCA Mocha had found a home!
OCA Mocha Presentation to UMBC Student Organizations
April 19, 2018
The OCA Mocha team met with leaders of UMBC student organizations to introduce the concept and pitch the space as a place for an event and meeting space.
First open house during Arbutus Arts Festival
May 20, 2018
OCA Mocha represented UMBC for the first time at the Arbutus Arts Festival, opening up the space for a sneak peek for the 20,000 festival attendees. The space held individual vendors as well as live music and an art gallery.
First Meeting with Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company
June 4, 2018
Students and Joe Regier met with Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company (CBRC) to discuss a potential partnership. Students toured CBRC’s roastery in Crofton, Maryland, and sampled their many different specialty coffee blends.
Bus trip to UMB Community Engagement Center
June 25, 2018
UMBC leaders joined the OCA Mocha team for a tour of the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Community Engagement Center. The team got to witness firsthand the positive transformations that UMB was making in its surrounding communities and gather inspiration and guidance en route to creating our own mutually beneficial college town.
Racial Bias Training for OCA Mocha Team
October 16, 2018
Brady Wheeler of UMBC’s The Choice Program led racial bias training for the OCA Mocha team. The team engaged in bonding activities through structured questions and left with valuable lessons for implementing racially aware and sensitive tactics in regards to everything from our hiring process to our daily interactions between our staff and customers.
Presentation to UMBC President’s Council
November 19, 2018
The team updated the President’s Council on progress with the project, and continued discussions on the many different ways the OCA Mocha space can be used to benefit UMBC and the local community.
Outside Investors Express Interest in OCA Mocha
December 5, 2018
After facing an unexpected challenge related to the coffee shop portion of the project, the team bounced back and tackled the problem head on and within a week was able to identify and bring in outside investors for the coffee shop.
Celebration of Partnership
March 14, 2019
The OCA Mocha team celebrated the long-awaited start of construction alongside the project’s biggest partners, contributors, and supporters from the community and UMBC.
Grand Opening
November 4, 2019
OCA Mocha opened its doors to the community at 6 a.m.