Building Community Through New Beginnings

Before deciding to open a cafe in Westerville’s historic Uptown district, Ontario Canada natives Kayla and Mike Tompkins lived a life filled with adventure and exploration. A successful music producer, Mr. Tompkins transformed into an influencer after he gained an abundance of online followers on his YouTube channel.

“Mike uploaded these silly music videos thinking that they were just going to be a way to promote his music and his production,” said Mrs. Tompkins. “That landed us on multiple shows–The Ellen Show, The Today Show–and we got kind of thrown into a very weird world. We moved from Canada to Los Angeles and lived there for several years. Through that, we were able to tour the world multiple times and do a lot of fun events with YouTube for many years.”

The couple collectively attracted more followers as they began documenting their lives as they traveled around North America in their vanhome with their two young children.

“Through our van life experience, we were able to vlog and highlight different restaurants and food all around the United States, and that's kind of when we thought of building a long table for people to come to and feel accepted, seen and loved,” said Mrs. Tompkins.

The Tompkins will soon begin their next chapter as they build upon Westerville’s existing, welcoming community through their latest venture, Begin Cafe, which will be located at 8 E. Main St. The family recently became U.S. citizens after living in the United States for 14 years and are happy to call Westerville home.

“It’s a really sweet city and we’re very thankful that we ended up finding a space in Uptown,” said Mrs. Tompkins. “We love hosting in our own home, and we just want this space to feel like an extension of our home; warm and inviting like a giant hug.”

Begin Cafe will offer coffee and light bites, such as toasts, pastries and cookies. Visit www.begin-cafe.com for updates on the cafe’s opening, and follow the Tompkins’ journey on Instagram (@begincafe).

Kayla and Mike Tompkins will soon realize their dreams of opening a cafe in Uptown Westerville after falling in love with the area.