One Sunday Morning, I was just happy to find a place with coffee. It was 8:30 A.M in South L.A and I had already been awake for three hours before getting to my destination- Central and 35th street in downtown Los Angeles. I got to my intended destination early (I was going to an Islamic center for my religions course…but that “venture” I can tell at a later time) and there it was, 3 Worlds Café. As I said, I was just excited due to the word “café.” When I walked in Bob Marley was on the overhead radio playing “One Love,” the cork board to the left of the entryway had flyers for community meetings and poetry nights. Everything felt more at ease within my tightened nerves and muscles from walking and taking the bus the whole morning.
“Good morning,” the barista across the way said to me, giving me her full attention yet preoccupying herself with busy work at the same time. Her voice was so sweet and I wasn’t even thinking about coffee anymore because my curiosity had begun to unwind. “How are you this morning, can I get you anything?” “Why is this called 3 Worlds Café,” I asked in a shockingly direct tone.
What a story she, Michelle, had to tell me. The 3 Worlds Café is a co-op business in South Central and its purpose was struck between Chef Roy Choi and high school students at Jefferson High School. Choi, a successful entrepreneur with his local food truck business, wanted to distribute his earnings into something “meaningful” (so said Michelle). I was blown away by not only Choi’s initiative but at the motivation of the students themselves who have graduated from Jefferson and now attend a university and play crucial roles still in the operation of the co-op. It had to be a co-op to keep the incentive for everyone involved.
I walked away from 3 Worlds Café with coffee and a muffin and feeling part of something bigger. Not because my purchase contributed to their efforts but because I got to interact with their cooperative vibes and be awoken by their audacious determination.