Former Minister Opens Filipino-Inspired Cafe to Build Community

“It’s better to take a risk and do something than to stay home and do nothing,” Rev. Danilo Fernandez told his children.

After spending 37 years in ministry, Fernandez has traded the pulpit for a coffee bar, finding a new way to serve his community in Des Moines. He and his wife, Rodilla, opened Grounded by The Collective this past July 11, transitioning from a three-year stint as vendors at the Des Moines Farmers Market to a permanent brick-and-mortar location.

The coffee shop serves as a hub for seasonal flowers, lattes, and matcha, alongside a menu heavily influenced by Filipino flavors. For Fernandez, the business functions as a modern ministry where the primary goal is to provide a sanctuary for the discouraged.

The family structure is deeply integrated into the shop’s daily operations. While Fernandez and Rodilla manage the weekday shifts and prepare desserts, their children take over on the weekends to develop new food, drink, and syrup recipes.

Fernandez uses the business to encourage his children to honor their cultural traditions and to consider the long-term legacy they are building. He noted that their work is being done not just for themselves, but for the future generations who will carry their traditions forward.

The family approached the venture with spiritual intent, praying that every visitor to the shop would encounter “peace, hope, joy, and love,” according to Fernandez.

Fernandez acknowledged the necessity of fiscal stability, stating that the family is looking for financial success in the future.

“When you connect with people, and you have a relationship with them, they will come back.”

For Grounded by The Collective, the business serves as a place to meet people, hear their stories, and build community.

Selling at the Des Moines Farmers Market for about three years provided a testing ground for their Filipino-inspired offerings before they opened a shop.