It’s Saturday, as I’m strolling on Florida Ave., just picking up some household items. My guy and I both turned our heads quickly when we saw someone’s order of coffee in the window of a small shop.
The shop has a modern look to it, your words echo just a bit, very laid back atmosphere; as it’s still very new. Only a year old. The owner of this emergent establishment is 2013 Woodrow Wilson graduate. His name is Kevon King, a Washington DC native raised in Riggs Road/Greenway SE area.
The look of the coffee as we walked by….and then of course when we caught a glimpse of the DC native signage out front, we HAD to go in.
And THAT we did! With curiosity and excitement. I went inside to talk to the creative behind this quaint lil establishment. I wish I would have gotten a picture of the coffee. hehe
The Village Cafe is based off of co spaces, marketplaces, food, entrepreneurship. When I asked Kevon what inspired him to start this business, he said, “I wanted to create a ‘safe place’ for under-served parts of the community. uses their space additionally for evens such as comedy shows. Growing up in Congress Heights, he saw a future in owning something that would embody creative thinkers and entrepreneurship.
If you live in Washington, DC, you know that it’s surroundings are rapidly changing, and Union Market area is the latest on the list of transforming neighborhoods. Once a wholesale operations center. Union Market used to be a marketplace, with affordable food and produce markets with vendors you could juggle bargains with is now a mre luxury, gourmet spot establishment.
Union Market Neighbors, a resident-activist group, has appealed the D.C. Zoning Commission’s approval of several proposed projects in the area. The group is concerned that the new establishments will force them out of the shopping districts and ultimately out of the neighborhood….period, due to the hike in pricing.
What Kevon is bringing to this neighborhood seems to be very much needed right now. Running into this gem was inspiring. It’s refreshing to see black business owners expatiate within their communities to build them up, paying it forward.
