Help Save Our Historic Building @ River Rock Coffee & Tea

In 2002, the historic building built in 1866, became the flagship location for River Rock Coffee & Tea and we are proud to be part of a space so deeply woven into the history and spirit of the St. Peter community. Over the past 25 years, River Rock has become more than we ever imagined. To us, this isn’t just a building – it’s a physical representation of all the moments, memories and people who have walked through our doors.

In late 2025, we began facade repairs to what had become an unsafe exterior. During these initial investigative steps toward preserving our 160-year-old building, our contractor and engineer discovered latent and severe structural damage believed to be caused by the 1998 tornado that swept through St. Peter. We needed to do what was necessary to ensure the safety of our community (nearly 1500 souls pass through our doors during any given week!) and we needed to do it now. This sudden discovery doubled our project cost overnight. Large scaffolding was erected, and our front entrance was closed for over 3 months.

While we know the necessity of these repairs was unavoidable, the loss of revenue, in conjunction with the unexpected costs of the structural re-engineering, is something we need to recover from. That’s why we are turning to our community and asking for help to keep this building an active part of our story. We understand River Rock Coffee & Tea is a small part of this building’s history, but we also know it is the heartbeat of our downtown, and we want to do everything we can to keep this beautiful building on the corner of Hwy 169, our home.

Please join us on Thursday, August 6, from 6-8PM for an evening of community, connection and fundraising. We will be serving wine, beer and delicious bites to accompany our night! Please ensure your arrival prior to 6:30PM when the main discussion is set to begin.

Our goal for this evening is to raise $50,000 to complete the repairs on our roof and protect the building’s interior spaces from further water damage. Throughout the evening, we’ll share how your support can help preserve this historic landmark, along with our long-term investment opportunities.