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Whittier Cafe: Where Coffee and Community Convene
One In-Person Session
Sat., Sept. 13, 2025, 1-3 pm MT

Steam rises and stories bloom. There’s a quiet magic in the everyday act of gathering over a shared cup of coffee. At Whittier Cafe, a social justice bar in northeast Denver’s Whittier neighborhood, an East African coffee ritual has become a symbol of community for a diverse neighborhood.

As Denver’s only African espresso bar, the Whittier Cafe serves as a community center where people can come to find connection and mark life’s great moments. The class begins with the cafe’s owner, Millete Birhanemaskel, describing how the coffee ritual serves as a daily communal experience that emphasizes connection and conversation.

Following that, partake in a 90-minute ceremony using coffee grown in Africa. In a slow, thoughtful process, green coffee beans are roasted over an open flame, then ground and brewed in a traditional jebena clay pot. You’ll be served three rounds of coffee—each cup milder than the last—alongside traditional snacks. Each step invites participation and dialogue around tradition, culture, current issues and more. Neighbors and class members alike are welcome to join. Reserve your spot now to discover how a simple cup of coffee can bring together a whole community.

Millete Birhanemaskel hails from Tigray in the northern region in Ethiopia and has owned since 2014. The board president of Tigray Community Colorado, she holds a BA in technical communications and an MBA from Colorado State University.