Bush-bashing is part of the atmosphere at Blue State Coffee on Thayer Street in Providence. On sale are dog treats.

The Providence Journal / Connie Grosch Connie Grosch

PROVIDENCE — Now, you can put a double shot of liberal politics in your latte.

Blue State Coffee, on Thayer Street, was started by the father-and-son team of Marshall and Drew Ruben of Wallingford, Conn. Blue State’s mission is to offer premier coffee with a social conscience. The owners donate 10 percent of the gross sales to four progressive causes: global warming, People for the American Way, the National Even Start Association and Democratic candidates.

Customers vote on how to allocate the proceeds by putting a wooden chip in one of four glass jars on the counter. Before too long, the public will be able to choose which causes the coffee shop supports, including a local charity.

In a riff on the classic John F. Kennedy quote, the cafe’s motto is, “Ask not what your coffee can do for you, ask what you can do with your coffee.”

As Marshall Ruben, a lawyer and confirmed liberal, said, “We felt we could deliver a terrific cup of coffee and provide a venue for political discourse and social activism.”

With names like True Blue blend and Patriot blend, the coffee touches all the crunchy, green bases: it’s organically grown, fairly traded and roasted by a Pawtucket company called New Harvest Coffee. It’s also kosher. Even the coffee cups are eco-friendly because they’re made out of processed corn, which can be composted commercially. True Blue also buys locally whenever possible, from home-grown produce to bagels.

“We’re trying to keep it personal,” said Colin Blankenship, one of the baristas. “If someone wants a mocha latte with extra syrup, we’ll make it sweeter. There’s no corporation telling us to use one shot of this and one shot of that.”

Leonard Lardaro, an economics professor at the University of Rhode Island, thinks this is an idea whose time has come.

“This is the most well-defined niche I’ve seen in a long time,” he said. “This is taking Starbucks and going five leaps further.”

The idea of a coffee house with a heart struck one Saturday morning when Drew, who is 18 and headed to Yale University, and his father were waiting in line at an upscale cafe in Wallingford. Looking at the $5 lattes, Drew turned to his father and said, “Why couldn’t we channel the money into causes we care about?”

Marshall said he would back his son if he came up with a sensible business plan. A year later, the family began selling coffee on-line. The actual coffee shop, which offers free Internet access and outdoor tables, opened a week ago. The Rubens are in business with another family, Tom Clark and his daughter, Bridie, a 20-something writer from New York.

“We named it Blue State Coffee because it represents Blue State ideals,” said Drew, a recent graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall, a prep school in Wallingford. “What sets us apart is we support good causes. You know where your money is going.”

Drew, who describes himself as a centrist, said he has always been drawn to progressive politics. At Choate, he was president of the Young Democrats and editor of The Democrat, a weekly newspaper. Last summer, he worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C. Asked if he was a Clinton Democrat, Drew said, “Which one?”

The Rubens knew they wanted to open their first store in a college town; the challenge was finding the right location.

“We came to Thayer Street and said, ‘This is it,’ ” Drew said. “I love Brown. I love the campus.”

It didn’t hurt that Drew’s mother, Carolyn Greenspan, is a Brown alumna.

“But it’s not just Brown,” Marshall added. “It’s the Rhode Island School of Design. It’s Johnson & Wales.”

Thayer Street is only the beginning. The Rubens plan to go regional, opening Blue State Coffee shops in college towns throughout New England.

Since Drew is bound for Yale, New Haven may be their next spot. Thanks to the store’s Internet business, the Rubens are getting calls from blue states like California and Michigan.

Blue State also hopes to become a hot spot for local political gatherings, from fundraisers to candidate debates. The owners plan on putting a soap box in the shop, and Marshall said that the store will host a big bash that will feature national figures from the Democratic Party.

“Nancy Pelosi knows about us,” Marshall said.

Would the Rubens ever open a coffee shop in a red state?

“Our initial idea,” Marshall joked, “is if a state turns red, we close.”

lborg@projo.com