Shine founder and Shine Coffee Shop owner Suzy Stjernstrom prepares to cut the ribbon at the shop’s grand opening and ribbon cutting on Thursday. The shop, located on north Broadway, also offers an interactive art experience.

The Tyler Chamber of Commerce welcomed Shine Coffee Shop on Thursday during the shop’s grand opening and ribbon cutting. However, Shine is much more than just a place to get a cup of coffee.

The business is home to the nonprofit Shine which seeks to love people, raise hope and bless the city through helping single mothers.

Shine founder Suzy Stjernstrom said opening the shop was a way to both serve the community through coffee and conversation as well as art.

“We wanted to open the coffee and art space so the nonprofit wasn’t just serving the community, but so that the two were interwoven and anyone could help make an impact by simply choosing to shop or get a coffee or enjoy the art here,” Stjernstrom said.

The art at Shine Coffee Shop is an interactive experience that takes guests through a maze. The self-led tour takes about 45 minutes to complete with each room designed and installed by a local artist and represents their interpretation of the theme, which changes periodically.

Stjernstrom said she wanted a place where everyone felt welcome and express themselves freely.

“We wanted people to be inspired with kindness, with joy, and with the hope that they can influence others in positive ways. We work to make the space truly inclusive so that everyone feels at home,” she said.

When asked what inspired her to use the name Shine, Stjernstrom explained.

“A flashlight, when you aim the light of a flashlight at yourself, you are enveloped in darkness; when you turn it around, your world expands. When we serve others instead of being all about ourselves, our lives change drastically. We want to inspire our community to ‘Shine,’” Stjernstrom said.

One hundred percent of the profits from Shine Coffee Shop go directly back into the community and programs it hosts which include Warrior Women and The Harbor, both benefitting single mothers.

Stjernstrom said she hopes the shop makes everyone feel welcome.

“We hope you’ll feel the weight of the message that greets you when you enter: ‘You belong here.’ We truly believe you do,” she said.

Shine is located at 112 Broadway Ave. Current hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 10 am to 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

For more information, call 903-780-7464.