From Coffee Shop to Coaching: How The Restoration Project Found Its Home at Office Evolution

By Brooke Fitzgerald, owner, coach, speaker, and Energy Builder at The Restoration Project

There’s something I’ve always believed about spaces: they shape what’s possible inside of them.

I learned that lesson early. Before I became a leadership coach, I owned a coffee shop in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for nearly nine years. I didn’t open it because I loved coffee; I opened it because I loved what coffee shops created. The conversations that happened there. The ideas that were born. The news shared across small tables between people who mattered to each other.

Space, I’ve come to understand, is never neutral. It either expands what you’re building or quietly shrinks it.

That’s exactly why, when The Restoration Project needed room to grow in 2025, we found our way to Office Evolution.

How It All Started

The Restoration Project is a leadership coaching and development firm founded in 2019. We work with individuals, teams, and organizations who are ready to close the gap between who they are and who they’re capable of being as leaders. The work is grounded in a simple belief: leadership isn’t what you know or do. It’s who you’re being in that pursuit.

The Restoration Project joined Office Evolution in Cedar Rapids because we needed a space that matched the level of work we were doing with clients. When you’re helping people make significant changes in their leadership and their lives, showing up in a professional, polished environment matters. 

It sends a signal that this work is real and it deserves to be taken seriously.

The Space That Made It Real

What I use most is the dedicated office and meeting room space. When I’m sitting across from a client (whether it’s a one-on-one coaching session or a working session with a leadership team), I need an environment that’s calm, focused, and free from the distractions of working from home or a coffee shop. 

Office Evolution gives me that consistently.

What I didn’t expect was the community. There’s something energizing about being around other business owners and professionals who are also building something. You cross paths in the hallway, exchange a few words, and remember that you’re not doing this alone. That matters more than I anticipated.

My favorite part of working here is simple: I walk in, and I’m ready to work. The space does something to my mindset. It signals to my brain that it’s time to show up fully for my clients, for my business, and for the work that I believe genuinely changes people.

The Person Who Makes It Feel Like Home

I talk a lot in my work about the impact one person can have on the energy of a room. Julie, our Cedar Rapids business center manager, is living proof of that.

From day one, Julie has been the kind of presence that makes you feel genuinely taken care of. She’s responsive, she remembers the details, and she has a gift for connecting members with each other in ways that feel natural rather than forced. That kind of intentional community-building is rare. And in a coworking environment, it makes all the difference between a space that’s transactional and one that actually feels like a place you belong.

Oh … and the monthly donuts don’t hurt either. It’s a small thing, but it’s the kind of thoughtful touch that says we see you, and we’re glad you’re here. In my line of work, I know how much that matters.

What’s Changed Because of It

Membership at Office Evolution has directly supported the growth of The Restoration Project. Having a consistent, professional space to bring clients has expanded what I’m able to offer and how I’m able to show up. It has removed friction. When logistics are handled and you’re not scrambling for a place to meet or wondering if the WiFi will hold, you can put all of your energy where it belongs: into the work.

As we move into the next chapter of The Restoration Project, with an expanded focus on personal coaching, team development, speaking, and our Empowerment Community experiences, having a home base that grows with us is essential.

Looking Ahead

I see our membership at Office Evolution continuing to be a foundational part of how The Restoration Project operates. 

As we bring more team workshops and leadership experiences to Cedar Rapids and the surrounding region, the flexibility of the space and the credibility it lends to the work will only become more valuable.

The milestones I’m most proud of aren’t the revenue numbers or the client count. They’re the moments when someone walks out of a session and something has genuinely shifted for them. Every time that happens in this space, I’m reminded why it matters where and how you do the work, not just what got crossed off your to-do list.

Here’s to building something that lasts, in a space designed for exactly that.

Connect with Us

• the-restorationproject.com
• @yourleadershipcoaches on social