Today we’d like to introduce you to Phil Sipka.
Phil, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The Kusanya Cafe began as the dream of six Englewood residents who were looking for a way to empower their community, understanding that the best source of empowerment would come from the members of the Englewood community themselves. In 2009, when these ideas were being formed there were no sit-down restaurants available in the Englewood or West Englewood communities (or roughly 65,000 residents). The idea was that if they could create a place that attracted all the diverse cross-sections of the neighborhood, residents would naturally begin to share resources and knowledge with one another. Kusanya was formed as a 501c3 nonprofit and tries every day to embody the slogan that is written on the front door: “owned, operated, and sustained by the Englewood neighborhood”.
Since opening in 2013, the cafe has hosted hundreds of community-led events, employed dozens of Englewood residents and continued to grow deeper into the fabric of community life in Englewood. In 2015 Kusanya expanded into roasting their own coffee and unveiled the ‘Roasting Room’, which serves as a community meeting space that has been utilized for events such as our weekly yoga class, art gallery, and prom parties. In the spring of 2019, Kusanya is excited to unveil its large community lot which it hopes to utilize as a community garden, concert venue, and outdoor gathering space.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The Kusanya Cafe was originally slated to open in the fall of 2010 but quickly ran into many of the injustices that have plagued the neighborhood for decades. The lack of rentable commercial space and the nearly non-existent access to commercial loans kept the dream in the planning stages for nearly three years. Kusanya finally found a home when one of the board members finally stepped in and purchased a condemned building in 2012. This brought a whole new set of challenges of rehabbing a structure along with opening a cafe. But after over a year of construction, blood, sweat, and tears the cafe finally opened in November of 2013.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Kusanya Cafe – what should we know?
The Kusanya Cafe is unique in that no person owns, or benefits from any revenue it generates. In addition to being overseen strictly by Englewood residents, the cafe also is a self-sustaining non-profit, meaning that it does not need to rely on grants or government funding to operate.
Most importantly, the cafe has established itself as the place where Englewood gathers together. Whether for a great Englewood roasted coffee, or for our signature ‘Baked Oatmeal’ our neighbors come to a cafe to have a great meal, relax, or connect with great people.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
In addition to the nearly 20 Englewood residents who have volunteered time being o the board of directors, there have also been a great partnership with Englewood organizations and non-profits that have contributed greatly to the success of Kusanya. The list includes: Teamwork Englewood, Growing Home, IGrow Chicago, Sonny Speaks, Sound Voyage, Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce, My Block My Hood My City, R.A.G.E, Canaan Community Church, Mission Year, and the list goes on. These organizations provide resources/grants, led community educational events, art and storytelling events, and met and shared themselves on a daily basis in the cafe.
Pricing:
- Baked Oatmeal $2.27
- The Big Payback (turkey sandwich) $5.49
- coffee origin of the day $1.59
Contact Info:
- Address: 825 W. 69th St.
Chicago, IL 60621 - Website: kusanyacafe.org
- Phone: 773.675.4758
- Email: kusanyacafe@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kusanyacafe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kusanyacafe/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kusanyacafe?lang=en
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kusanya-cafe-chicago
Image Credit:
Kusanya Cafe
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
