When you first walk in, you may think the Gathering Coffee Company is just another coffee house, but it isn’t, and, the writing’s on the walls. “Alone is nothing that you are,” said, Emily Steffen, owner of the Gathering Coffee Company. This is a passage written on the walls of her business and a term she says she’s used since college, not knowing one day it would be the mission statement for her coffee shop, “I wanted to create a very intentional space with the community that incorporated both art, storyelling, the concept of gathering together over a product that has no time frame,” Steffen told “Live in the D’s,” April Morton. That product she says is coffee, and unlike a meal that once it’s eaten you get up and leave, typically when enjoying a cup of coffee with someone, you stay awhile, and are more engaged, even with those you may not know. That’s a space she says is important to have in our community. “That is why we exist, that’s why we’re here to be better, to grow and to have the community be the one who’s writing our story and we’re just listening and advocating for that and constantly changing with the community, with ourselves and just with everything we’re going through right now,” Steffen said.
Everything about the Gathering Coffee Company is designed to bring people closer together, even the seating, with picnic-style tables. The space, located on East Grand Blvd also supports local artists of all genres. “We have pop-ups almost every weekend here; it does not cost anything for local artists to be able to set up here. We have a darkroom space that is free for our community, so for those in Detroit who know how to develop film we can do graph and color film here,” said Steffen.
What brings everyone together there, of course is the coffee. Steffen gave April a lesson on brewing a cup at home, using the slow pour method.
To watch the entire interview, click the video above.