Little Heart & Soul of Kawa Cafe

Another grand series of fortunate events leading our adventurer to a hole in the wall next a laundromat and behind a drivers ed test school! There's... a very special cafe which will capture your heart.

After a long week which at the very last second turned into a four day week due to a new federal holiday being signed into law, I was getting antsy again. Not because the of the HH-60 chopper, which seemed to be lost flying around over campus turning this way and that for a good 20 minutes before landing on the terrazzo.

Originally my plan had been to stay in until the afternoon where my errands encompassed picking up my friend from the airport. But, my hangry self could not stand another minute without food since I had slept in passed the breakfast hours at the DFAC.

So with the chopper still lost in the sky I decided to hit the road and go to a place that served breakfast all day long! No it wasn't IHOP or the new "IHOB".

Kawa Cafe

"Coffee is the cure" -Kawa Cafe shirt

Alright so as usual the first thing that happens is I get lost or mind you I "think" I'm lost, but I actually wasn't. Siri was just going a bezerker rampage to send me on roads that didn't exist. As a result I parked my car in the parking lot on Union blvd and used my observational skills.

The truth was the cafe was located in the back of a small breeze way where there was outdoor seating. Next to a laundromat and tailor shop, while also smack dap in the middle of a drivers ed test school route which I drove right through getting some puzzled looks from instructors as I went through their designated parking area. It's after this parking lot and yellow warning sign where I found a back road which a bunch of other people parked in so it really didn't matter if you were an instructor or not. Nobody was going to check anyways.

Though it was sunny outside, it was a bit too hot to sit in the breeze way. But the atmosphere of Kawa Cafe didn't disappoint. It seems to be a relative hot spot actually, yet still not too busy to be cramped with people.

When I stepped in the first thing I noticed was the random nutella jar on the top chalk scribbled shelf and a nice greeting of "Hello? How are you today? I haven't seen you in before." It wasn't until later that I learned, most who came to this small gem were regulars from all walks of life.

But the kind atmosphere and generosity of the staff only got better the longer I stayed. I usually only go to coffee shops to go work. But this time I didn't have much work and I wasn't going to pull out my Instructor Drill Manual. I had stared at that and engrained words into my head "sharply" or "straight, but not stiff" into my head these past two weeks I needed a good break.

The Volcano

Since it was my first time there, I asked for recommendations from the barista and settled with a blueberry lemon scone, a 12 oz Caramel Latte, and...the Volcano. Now it wasn't much a Volcano other than following the two facts of nature that it was large, and it created a disaster on my plate because I couldn't fit it into my mouth.

There was no squishing this thing any smaller, it was bound to crumble and fall apart onto my plate. Next time I do think I'll try something else to mix it up.

Yet, the sweet caramel latte was a hit, most coffee places don't achieve the right sweetness, so I usually ask for an extra pump or sugar. This time however, I realized afterwards I had forgotten but, that wasn't a big deal. It isn't going to make or break my world, besides I had a scone to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Yet, I got lucky, the latte was very sweet and the bitterness of the caffeine, I couldn't taste at all. It was good, in fact better than Wayfinder's Coffee with the S'more. The blueberry lemon scone was freshly made too warm and soft with tougher edges. I'm no baker but since my little sister is I believe she'd give it a solid B rating. (Her's are better, can't compete with her skill plus she grades hard; but don't worry she's not a school teacher). However, it was a nice dessert to the first three course meal to have at around 11 o'clock.

Act of Kindness

“Kindness is a gift everyone can afford to give"

Since this time I really had no work to do other than prepare for this blog, I got some time to doodle and to observe my surroundings as I killed time til Lily's flight got in. A lot can happen in four hours.

People came and left from all walks of life, and most actually were known by the staff working there. A group of elderly ladies came and enjoyed lunch laughing and reminiscing about old times telling some funny stories. One noticed my camera and asked if I was a photographer in the local area and we got to talking about her career as a journalist. Her name was Abby and she told me several stories, but that it all started when in her small town somewhere in Wisconsin students would be apart of the newspaper club taking photos and writing stories about all that went on at the school, from the senior prank to every football game... "American football was the rave, got the whole small town out for one night shops would close early, you knew when there was a game," said Abby.

All three of them had gone to high school together and kept in touch through letters until phones came out. But they still write one another to this day and some how ended up in the Springs and do almost everything together again, though probably not as crazy as the age of the 70s.

Yet there was another story that I overheard and saw which sets this establishment apart from so far everywhere else that I've been.

It was when a lady walked in who's name I sadly didn't catch. She wore a paper boy's hat, and had some coin change and a visa card in her hand which she set on the counter dropping a few. One of the barista's recognized her and struck up a conversation. Though I wasn't listening too it intently until I heard, "Oh... I don't have enough." She seemed to be counting her coins again. "You can just get rid of the coffee it's okay."

The barista smiled, "Don't worry about it. It's on the house." There wasn't a second thought or worry in the barista's tone. Not a hesitation at all. It was an act of kindness that you don't see everyday but here, the small questions of, "how are you today" to strangers, and even knowing most who walk in by name, even those who simply come on their 20 minute construction work break. The impressive part is that they also have an understanding where people are in their lives. Curious for updates or being excited when a business venture is beginning to succeed. Its the listening and friendly conversations that I overheard which builds this incredibly special place.

It's not the way it looks, or the enormous amount of pot holes that I had to dodge to get to the back or the run down laundromat out in front with a broken pharmacy. It may not look like the nicest place in the Springs. But it definitely achieves something far greater than looks. There's a little bit of heart and soul here at Kawa Coffee.

I do have to say, I was a hesitant to share this place, since its my new favorite and now has my own heart. But, I do believe people need to come and experience this small place it too, because these you won't find everyday.

You really do need to go explore it for yourself.

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