Indaba Coffee is now open on the corner of Knox and Monroe in Spokane. As of Saturday, Sept. 21, Indaba Coffee now has a local café for all to visit. The opening festivities lasted all day, starting at 6 a.m. and ending at 9 p.m.
The opening day had many patrons who came to celebrate the opening, and the co-founder Bobby Enslow, said there were lines out the door multiple times throughout the day.
“I just love seeing people come out and connect and seeing the space filled up with people,” Enslow said.
The opening was estimated, by Enslow, to have around 200 people there throughout the day and there were activities held including tours of the roasting facility and the process it takes to create the coffee patrons enjoy in the cafe. Students at Whitworth University have also been able to enjoy Indaba Coffee on campus in places like the Mind and Hearth since 2009, according to Enslow.
The café itself is decorated with lots of places for people to sit together and enjoy refreshments or sit and work at the high tables and do work. The main room has floor-to-ceiling windows that let in the sunlight as the day goes on. There are lights throughout the space that keep it well-lit and much of the space is decorated with neutral tones of white and brown. All this works together to create a space that seems perfect for students to study — including the commute of only 15 minutes.
Enslow is excited about this location and the opportunity it gives Indaba to connect with people in Spokane. “I think ultimately it’s just our value for giving back to the community in Spokane.”
At 7 p.m. on Saturday, they held a “Latte Art Throwdown,” which ran until 9 p.m. to celebrate their opening even further. Patrons gathered in the main café space to either participate or watch as people created latte art. All proceeds that came from that event went to Peak 7 Adventures, a local nonprofit that is focused on “providing life-changing outdoor adventures to under-resourced young people across the Pacific Northwest,” according to their website.
Close to 40 people gathered, and there were over two dozen participants in the competition. The game included several rounds of two competitors each, and the café had sabotages from the audience which allowed them to mess up the artists in three ways: pouring with their non-dominant hand, wearing goggles, and/or wearing an eye patch. Contestants could also use boosts such as a celebrity pour, electing someone else to do the round for them, and enacting a Mulligan, which allowed them to repour.
The café is now open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. According to their website, they hope you’ll, “Step into our cafe and experience more than just great coffee – immerse yourself in a vibrant community where every conversation matters.”
