What's Happening in Poway, CA…

A new café opened recently in southeast San Diego, but plans to build community in addition to serving coffee.

Café X: By Any Beans Necessary recently launched its operations by holding a pop-up event with performances, poetry readings, and organic coffee. The café's CEO, Khea Pollard, says the cafe hopes to serve communities of color by beginning a movement to help them heal and build communal wealth. The café plans to achieve this by hosting educational programs and special events for these communities. Pollard said that starting at the bottom gives her shop the opportunity to lift everyone up.

Café X is unusual because all its employees and baristas own part of the business. Pollard said that they serve coffee, but that only approximately 10% of their mission. The rest is devoted to engagement and community building. The ultimate goal is to get people involved in their own community, creating a future for new generations, and developing businesses that are owned and run by their communities.

The soft opening was held on Euclid Avenue, but Café X will move to a permanent location on El Cajon Boulevard, where it will have its official opening October 19. Pollard said her ultimate dream is to create a Café X franchise where each owner can adapt their store to the needs of the neighborhood. Banner printing can be used to create decorations for opening celebrations like this.