Few things are capable of tying a neighborhood together better than a cafe. These “third places” give people a social outlet between work and home. Cafes are a place to gear up for the day ahead and unwind after the day that was. They’re a place to sip and savor or to grab and go. They’re places for meetings, for friend hangouts, for casual dates, for studying, for remote work, for isolation, and for togetherness. They can be an indelible part of a neighborhood’s identity, a spot for nearby residents to frequent, and a stopping point for people who are just passing through. They can be malleable and special.
In February, a new cafe and potential community hub called Kuumba Juice & Coffee (274 E. Keefe Ave., 414-488-2077) opened near the confluence of Milwaukee’s Harambee and Riverwest neighborhoods. The young business, which is named after the Swahili word for “creativity” and the sixth principle of Kwanzaa, is located in the Connector Building that’s situated along the Beerline Trail.
Kuumba was opened by three friends—Alexander Hagler, Ellie Jackson, and Joe Ferch—who collectively have an extensive background community organizations, environmental initiatives, art, music, and wellness. Together under the Kuumba umbrella, the owners have aspirations of “cultivating healthy communities” by providing a space where people can come together. They’re also hoping the venture can serve as a site to help foster creativity.
The new life is immediately evident when encountering the building on the corner of Keefe and Richards that had long sat empty, neglected, and blighted. Now, customers are greeted by colorful walls lined with local art, chairs and cozy couches, an array of tables, pristine tiles, and an abundance of windows to let in natural light. The rear of the black building with orange accents is also home to a sprawling private brick patio with murals and a glimpse of the Beerline Trail.
Outside of the community focus, Kuumba Juice & Coffee—as the name suggests—specializes in serving up fresh homemade juice concoctions and coffee. There’s also a small-but-eclectic food menu. During our maiden visit recently, we decided to partake in all three types of offerings. We started with a cortado, which at a respectable $3.50 price point for an eight-ounce mug, was as potent and satisfying as it was cheap. If cortados aren’t your thing, you’ll be happy to learn Kuumba also offers caffeination in the form of coffee (hot and cold brew formats), lattes, cappuccino, espresso shots, chai, matcha, and loose leaf tea.
The same time we got our cortado, we were also given our juice selection. The “Bright Sunny Day” was a revitalizing blend of orange, carrot, and ginger that was refreshing and downright delicious. The ginger also packed a sense-tickling punch. The Bright Sunny Day is one of five juices available right now. There are also four types of smoothies on hand. As the shop’s owners intended in their “creativity” aim, we took our time at one of the cozy cafe’s tables to plan some upcoming events, tinker with some article ideas, and to just breathe for a spell as the sounds of upbeat R&B on Kuumba’s speakers and the bustle on the intersection visible out the cafe’s windows temporarily took us away from the day-to-day grind.
A few minutes after getting our beverages, our food was brought out. Our Caribbean Jerk Chili came with a warning of its alleged spiciness. Though we didn’t find it to be overwhelmingly spicy, is was hearty, comforting, and altogether tasty. It was loaded with jerk chicken, vegetables, spices, and a pineapple-lime crema. Of the six food items currently on Kuumba’s just-updated menu, three are in the soup and soup-adjacent family. Roasted vegetables, a breakfast sandwich, and a lemon pepper chicken wrap rounds out the remainder of the food selection.
There, on a quiet midweek afternoon, we looked around to see people reading. Others typed away on laptops. Occasionally, customers would drop in to grab a quick beverage and leave. Some of those customers seemed to have already earned “regular” status at the months-old business. The cork board was full of posters and handbills for events and fundraisers happenings both there and elsewhere in the city. The vibes were good. Kuumba Coffee & Juice is still new and largely unknown, but it’s quickly become a place at the edge of the Harambee neighborhood where community, coffee, and yes, creativity all collide.
