In less than a year, the Fire Escape Coffeehouse has become known as a place for free concerts, a good breakfast for an Appalachian Trail hiker, and just a place to talk to someone.

So while the nonprofit board of directors behind the Palmerton shop have decided to close its doors, they have their heads held high about the impact the shop had on the community.

“We tried to do everything we could, and ultimately we just trust that God used it for the purpose that he had us start it for,” said Michael Coulson, Pastor of People’s E.C. Church in Lehighton, and a member of the coffee house’s board.

The last day of business for the coffee shop will be this Saturday. The news was announced earlier this month with a message thanking the employees and volunteers, as well as the community members who have patronized the coffee house.

Over the last 10 months, the coffee shop has had numerous performers donate their time to play live music. Musicians traveled from Philadelphia, Harrisburg, even one from Florida who stopped in while headed to a gig in New England.

“It’s been really cool to see that many people willing to travel,” Coulson said.

The Fire Escape was founded with the hope that it would generate revenue to help fund Christian social ministries in Carbon County — specifically people in need, the homeless and people dealing with addiction.

A space formerly occupied by a cafe was available in town. The board, their landlord and volunteers who had coffee shop experience all helped to make it a reality.

The Fire Escape name highlighted the idea that the cafe would help people. Their logo shows a phoenix rising from a coffee mug.

The coffee shop started by doing a hat and mitten tree. They collected cat food for the Palmerton Cat Project. They collected school supplies for those in need.

On top of that, Coulson hopes that they inspired other people to do things that serve God.

“For us, this was our way to serve God and help the community, and hopefully people will be inspired to do that in different ways as well,” he said.

Another impact that may not be as obvious was the fellowship and community that the coffee shop created. It was a popular place for thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail to stop for breakfast, and numerous community members would stop by and have a conversation with the employees. Coulson said he knows there was a lot of healing and counseling done over a cup of coffee or a meal at the coffeehouse.

“It’s amazing you can have such connections with people, no matter where they are from,” Coulson said.

The coffeehouse started as a way to help fund ministries. While it didn’t work out in the long run for the Fire Escape, Coulson said the board would still encourage other churches to try starting a business to help fund their ministries.

“We still love the concept and would encourage other groups of people to give it a shot,” he said.

On Saturday, the Fire Escape will close out as it began, offering free music for patrons. Singer Yvonne Hartman is scheduled to perform. Coulson offered thanks to all the volunteers and employees who made the coffee shop a place to visit for the past 10 months.

“If it wasn’t for them and the support from the community, we wouldn’t have been able to stay open for as long as we did,” he said.