With WPI students, faculty, and staff making up both its customer base and workforce, Fuel Coffee and Grove Village Market illustrate how the university’s economic impact percolates directly into Worcester’s small business ecosystem. For owner Neelu Mohaghegh, that impact is felt most in the atmosphere she’s created, where coffee and community go hand in hand. “If you visit a coffee shop, you really get a feel for that city based on the people and the vibe,” said Mohaghegh. “They're about community. I think coffee shops, in general, are creative spaces.” Mohaghegh, a Worcester native and one-time barista, has always wanted to open a coffee shop — and now she has two serving the Worcester community. Notably, last year, she opened Grove Village Market, which is adjacent to WPI’s Gateway Park and just a short walk from the main campus. The shop is heavily connected to WPI, serving as a gathering place for students and faculty; Mohaghegh also employs a handful of WPI students. “I feel like an alum because of how much I've gotten to work with WPI,” she says. Not just serving coffee — providing an experience Mohaghegh opened her first coffee shop Fuel America Grove Street three years ago. When looking to expand to a second location, she immediately thought of WPI. It turned out to be a prime location: WPI undergrads, grad students, professors and admins, naturally, make up a large part of Grove Village Market’s clientele. The shop is also a popular hangout for other local college students. “I love hearing that, this is their favorite coffee, this is their favorite spot to come to,” says Mohaghegh. Further, the shop functions almost like an extension of WPI’s campus, with its conference room regularly used by faculty, staff, student organizations, and research teams — while also opening its doors to community stakeholders, making it a hub where academic life and Worcester’s broader creative energy intersect. “I hope that people from WPI feel like this shop is their home,” says Mohaghegh. “I hope they find themselves gathering here, getting their work done, coming to events, and sharing it with their friends and family.” Contributing to Worcester’s thriving economy In addition to a dedicated base of WPI customers, WPI students make up more than half of Grove Village Market’s workforce. The  college has “provided me with some of the best workers for my team,” says Mohaghegh, with many having worked at the shop throughout their college careers. “It's really allowed me to build a family here at the shop,” Mohaghegh says. “It’s such a special college, and I really love the kind of students that have come to work for me. It’s been wonderful to see how creative and smart, innovative and dedicated they are."