On site observation 🏙️ 🔍
“Aussie brunch and Proud Mary coffee at Good Thanks, Lower East Side, NYC” by Bex.Walton is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Let me take you downtown to lower Manhattan, specifically Flatiron. Just a couple of blocks away from the famous and well known Flatiron building there is this lovely coffee shop. Making my way towards the coffee shop it was somewhere around 11:40 am so there weren’t many people walking around and I kind of expected more people since it was Spring Break. How would you describe a typical? Maybe brown, vintage, and old. This is exactly what Devocion but way better. Walking up to the location you are greeted by the dark academia vibes of the old buildings and the brown paint of the outer store. This big window with the word Devoción in yellow words seeing that there are businessmen waiting in line to order, students having a group conversation and some ladies reading where one of them is reading a novel at this old leather couch and this girl reading a manga by the window. Inside you are hit by the wonderful and fresh scent of coffee beans. Stepping inside on the right there is this old carpet with these seats on it. And there are a couple of tables that are organized in columns of 3. On the left side there are these pictures such as the image of a plantation or farm and this quote on the brick wall. And this small but tall wooden shelf that displays bags of coffee and cups and plates as decoration. Where on the right side there is a brown door which I believe is the bathroom, not quite sure and a big mirror. Further into the cafe there is a seating area where there is another big brown couch and coffee table and an old rug in the center. Right by it on the brick wall there are these posters that say Colombia in black and on the right side there is this corner where there is a big brown door which is definitely the restroom. To add a bit of color or some liviness to the cafe right above the seating area there is this circular holder for these plants. For the lighting in this place there are light fixtures such as hang lamp lights and like sort of stage lights. Right behind the seating is where you will find the counter as a L shaped with brown cabinets and marble table. On this marble table there is a sink, a holder where the cups and mugs are put and the station for utensils such as napkins, cup holders, and the cash register. Behind the counter where you work you can see the rest of the counter that snakes around the back of the cafe filled with trays, plates, the coffee machines and more. The back wall of the cafe is also bricked with these 2 windows and a big menu sign in the middle of them, along with a glass ceiling.
Introduction to my friend
I was able to return back to this lovely place at a later time around their closing hours, since there aren’t going to be as many people there. I met up with a friend of mine who has worked there for a couple of years now as a barista there. My friend didn’t want their name mentioned, and I respected his request. Because he has worked a few years here and has gained many experiences with being a barista, I knew he was able to give some information about this place. We sat down at the front seating area at the big brown leather couch and asked him a few questions. Since I am an introvert and there were still some people coming in and out of the cafe, I kind of got nervous and made the beginning awkward but after the first question we started to ease our way into a smooth conversation.
Interview Questions Transcript 🫘 ☕
Me: ‘What interested you or inspired you to work at this cafe?’
Him: He responded in heartful tone “ I didn’t know what to do for a job but I always wanted to become a barista and a doctor, he joked, since I was kid I looked up to my older brother since he worked a fancy restaurant where he bartends and saw how cool he looked serving drinks. That was where I knew I wanted to be like him.”
Me: ‘ What is something you love about this particular cafe or what stands out to you that makes this place different from others?’ (And by the look of his face I can tell he was enthusiastic to share.)
“Walter’s Coffee Roastery, Brooklyn, NYC, USA” by Bex.Walton is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Him: “ Well I’m very glad that you asked, you see I fell in love with the story of this cafe and their mission for it. This place is the only company who sells their coffee super fresh! Where we get the coffee beans straight from Colombia, where they are dry milled there. From there they ship by Fed-ex to our roastery in Brooklyn and then to the other cafes. So that coffee is just like 10 days or less fresh from the source compared to other cafes and businesses.” ( Wow, this is actually pretty cool to hear about. I was impressed by how this company was able to make this happen)... How was this location decided for the cafe or do you know the history behind this place? “ So the cafe is actually used to be owned as an artist's studio
Me: (Really?!),
Him: Yeah! which is why you can see the bricked walls, the wooden floors, and the skylight above the coffee bar over there! (He points it out to me). And the greenery is meant to represent the environment of Colombia. This cafe is able to bring a unique history and aesthetic look to it.” To wrap up the interview I asked him if there was anything he would like to mention or want to share that he didn’t get the chance to? He says that the owner who is from Colombia launched his business to produce fresh coffee because compared to other coffee beans that sit around for months lose its flavor which is the reason why he is motivated to give clients the best quality coffee.
Observing Anima Mundi 🔎 🧿 🍹
Walking around Soho, you will find the place to be a bit hidden. What I mean by that is that the place is in some sort of alley. Don’t let the location fool you because it is a small and aesthetically pleasing store. You enter into an open and spacious store where you see colors everywhere. Its interior design is quite simple where there are white walls and wooden floors decorated with some plants and flowers. Also how organized the store is, where the products are placed colored coordinated. Once you step into the store you are greeted by the smells or floral and other botanical smells. Like there is the smell of essential oils. In general the store has the feeling of a safe space, where people can enjoy a new experience of getting introduced to herbal heals. This place has this sort of modern twist into the vintage look too. Where you would notice their wooden chairs, ladder, tables (honestly the cafe feels like Starbucks with a modern look and more pretty and colorful). There is this bar area where you are able to have these cocktails and other drinks such as espressos, matcha, etc but with healthy benefits and freshly sourced.
Questions for Adriana 🌺 🌸 🍄 🍵
I asked her some questions based upon her growing up and her business. She explained how she grew up around plants and found her passion.
“Pink drinks” by Dano is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Adriana: “ I have the Mediterranean side to my family and also like Costa Rican, Costa Rican, so when I was really young my grandmother worked as a psychic healer and basically taught me since I was very young.”
At the age of around 7-8 she learned about these practices without really knowing it is something otherworldly. And it all started with being introduced to the herbal and psychic world to studying at herbal schools and other educational institutions. That small home office grew to something bigger and impactful not only to women but to everyone looking for a healthy alternative of healthcare.
Me: ‘How are you different or what sets you apart from other cafes?’
Adriana: “ We pride ourselves in creating some of the highest quality plant medicines in the market. Our herbalist run and operated company uses responsibly sourced ingredients from small and ethical farms in North, Central and South America, India, Thailand, and more. We specialize in crafting high potency liquid extracts, extract powders and tea’s that are produced with certified organic or wildcrafted ingredients.”
At Anima Mundi as a customer you are definitely getting clean, sustainable and healthy ingredients/products. Compared to other cafes where they don’t sell fresh and organic healthy benefits Anima Mundi does.
Adriana: “Anima Mundi is a family owned and operated business. Our superfoods are made in an FDA registered and cGMP certified facility. Made in the U.S. with certified organic herbs, wild harvested plants in a vegan and gluten free kitchen. Our products contain zero fillers, binders or flow agents. Lab tested for purity and efficiency.”
Me: ‘ Thank you for your time, I enjoyed this conversation with you and is there anything you want to say to me? Adriana: “No, thank you for asking questions and I think I summed up pretty well about this amazing place.”
