Coffee and community: Calgary cafe is addressing poverty one cup at a time

The Calgary Mustard Seed celebrated the grand opening of Brian's Cafe on Thursday, but the Ogden eatery has already been providing coffee, pastries and a sense of community for three months.

The coffee shop is on the ground floor of the street ministry's Ogden Hub 29, a new apartment building on 74th Avenue S.E. 

Hub 29 consists of 24 affordable, permanent housing units designed for families experiencing poverty and homelessness. The building was completed in February 2024.

The cafe was named after late community member and guest of the Mustard Seed, Brian Evasiuk. The Evasiuk family had a long history of involvement in the community and set out to honour Brian's life and help others through opening the cafe, said Byron Bradley, senior director of development and government relations at the Mustard Seed. 

The cafe opened to the public on Oct. 15. It's been a hub for all, providing food and community, said manager Kendra Cunha. 

Cunha says she's been working in cafes since her teen years, noting Brian's Cafe has a different approach to customer service than her previous jobs. 

"Brian's Cafe is a way to connect to the community, be affordable, approachable — on all levels," she said.

The cafe brings more than just coffee to its patrons and those living in Hub 29 and surrounding community members, according to Bradley.

The Mustard Seed offers employment through Brian's Cafe, creating a supportive space for those looking to develop their resume and feel more comfortable working, helping them gain confidence to one day explore other jobs in the city. 

"The hope is that it would be short-term contracts that get them those skills and the confidence working for some of them," Cunha explained. "So this is a first step, and then we hope to get them connected with the outside workforce and get them on their way." 

Brian's Cafe has also implemented what's known as a "giving wall," a city program where customers are able to pay forward acts of kindness. The wall allows customers to pre-purchase items from the cafe, leaving receipts for future customers in need. The receipts are taped to a wall, allowing customers to grab a receipt of their choice and be served, free of charge. 

"One of our community members that are living here, or maybe someone from the community that comes in that maybe isn't as fortunate as I am, can afford a cup of coffee," said Bradley.

The store's manager says they have seen over $1,000 donated through prepaid food and drink in just three months. 

"The fact that the community is out there, coming in and doing it and wanting to give back to the building, to the community — it's amazing. I'm super grateful to be here," Hub 29 resident Alexis Vielle said. 

"Definitely a place that's bringing people together," Vielle added. 

Having the cafe integrated into the Hub 29 building gives opportunities to workers and residents to serve the community, Bradley says, noting people come into the cafe for a coffee and end up getting help. 

He adds the cafe's social setting provides a sense of comfort and differentiates itself from other available supports and resources, reducing stigma around asking for help.

"The lower barrier, how it's open to the whole public, it's quite different from some of our other locations. And so I think that it's really neat to have that as an opportunity here in Ogden, but also in Calgary," Bradley said.