Strengthening Community Through Coffee

JENA BROOKER, Contributor

Café Rica, 62 E Michigan Ave, Battle Creek, MI

cafe-rica.com

It’s a family affair at Café Rica, a coffee shop located in downtown Battle Creek. Against the backdrop of a technicolor mural of a flamingo, natural light fills the spacious shop, complimenting the wood floors and exposed brick. Brothers Tristan and Jackson Bredehoft run the cafe full time with help from their parents. After years of searching for the best coffee, their father discovered the beans they now source from Café Naranjo, a cooperative in Costa Rica. Their mom, who speaks Spanish, helps coordinate the orders.

From its inception the cafe was integrated into the local food system. The brothers took the food business course at Can-Do Kitchen in Kalamazoo, brewing their coffee there before switching to Sprout’s incubator kitchen in Springfield.

Café Rica sources from many local food businesses for their extensive menu that includes bagel and waffle sandwiches, tostadas, coffee and tea, and even their own canned cocktails and cold brew. “Working with bigger companies that provide food and food services doesn’t have the same touch as a local person that you build a personal relationship with,” Tristan says.

Their local suppliers include The Fire Hub, Continental Bakery, Avalon Farms, 365 Urban Farm, Horrocks, and others. “Anything we can get locally and fresh we try to get,” Jackson says. "It just tastes better.”

Founder of 365 Urban Farm, Kathy Antaya, says in addition to Café Rica’s benefit to the community as a whole, they’ve continuously promoted her farm. “It was significant to boost our identity within the community,” Antaya says. In their food menu, Café Rica sources tomatoes, basil, carrots, broccoli, and cucumbers from 365 Urban Farm.

Regardless of the cost, the brothers are committed to working with other local food businesses. “It was always in the forefront of our goals to integrate as much as we can with the community,” Tristan says.