I’ve been hitting some milestones lately that have felt…unreal. Impossible? I’m in my sixteenth year of teaching – but I swear I’ve only been at my college for a few years. I’m also coming up on twenty years since I graduated from undergrad (the specific date is three days from now) – and given the amount of time I had spent waiting for the day to arrive that I’d get to leave home and go to college, this anniversary feels surreal.
It also made me realize that I’m coming up on another twentieth anniversary – with my favorite cafe. At the end of my final semester of college, I met someone who has became a such dear friend of mine, my Ashley. At the time, she was vegan, and there weren’t a lot of places we could meet out and about. Enter: Kavarna.
At the time, the cafe had been open at it’s original location for several years – Linda Bengston (later Galt) opened the cafe in November of 1999. As I didn’t have a car during college (and campus exists on the outskirts of the city), I didn’t really get to explore much until after I graduated, so I never had the chance to stumble upon it until Ashley first introduced me to it. (She has since introduced me to SO many amazing places, but this remains my favorite.) Back then, it was located a few bocks from where it is now, which had been a tiny spot that barely fit ten small tables but had the most beautiful tin ceiling. You had to be lucky (or really good at hovering) to nab one of those prime spots. The food was delicious, and while I didn’t yet drink coffee, Ash’s endorsement was all I needed to know it was good.
These days, it’s hard to imagine the Broadway district without this cafe, but when Linda first opened it, the cafe was one of a kind. Vegetarian/vegan options were rare on most menus – let alone having an entire establishment based around the concept. (As she notes in an interview with the GB Press Gazette, there were folks who wouldn’t come to the cafe because there was no meat on the menu. I can attest to this when my mother-in-law cracked a joke, requesting that we find somewhere with “real” food rather than return to the cafe for lunch. Linda took this in stride, and there is even a nod to this with the Rabbit Sandwich – which has “English cucumber, tomato slices, Heritage Blend mixed greens, and house dressing served on Great Harvest Oregon Herb toast.” Literally what I had for lunch today.)
On May 7, 2010, Kavarna closed up for the last time at their first location, moving a few blocks up Broadway to a much larger location (three tiers with many more tables, with room to host musicians and, later, roast their own coffee beans). The delicious food, genuine hospitality, and mosaic counter all made the trek. (Photos below from the Kavarna Facebook show what the new space looked like in 2008 before they started renovating, as well as a close up of the mosaic counter.)
When I didn’t live in Green Bay, anytime I visited the city, I had to stop and pick up some Kavarna hummus (they sell it in one pound tubs), and there are often requests for it from friends I visit who have moved away. And any time I’ve lived in the city (this is, officially, my third time living here), I would frequent the cafe like a home away from home. I’ve spent a lot of time writing here, fueling my writing with Cheesy Artichoke Wraps and tea or coffee (depending on the time of day). Good chunks of my first novel were written here. My second and third would have, too, but COVID hit.
And you want to talk about bad timing? After twenty years in business, Alex and Linda Galt decided to sell Kavarna. Kayla Viste and Mike Hastreiter took over in February of 2020. That date should probably sound familiar. These two folks probably thought their worst obstacle would be settling into this established, beloved cafe – and then a month later, they had to shutter their doors and figure out how to weather an unprecedented storm.
Thankfully, they did manage (soon offering curbside pick up, of which this writer took advantage), and once it was safe, they opened little by little. Today, much like that mosaic counter, Kavarna still stands; even with new owners (well, not really new anymore 🙂), the heart of this place remains.
One thing that I particularly enjoy about the changing of hands is the fate of it. Both Kayla and Mike had previous experience with Kavarna (as a job and as a hangout, respectively). They had come to a decision to purchase a business, and it just so happened that Karvana had become available. Something similar happened with my own family when we made our move from a Chicago suburb to a small town in Door County, where my parents became business owners themselves. Sometimes, things just work out – and in the case of Kavarna, that is the case.
As for me, I’m just happy this place is still around all these years later. No matter where I’ve lived or traveled, it remains my favorite. In fact, I’m writing these very words on one of my many Friday writing days spent at the cafe.
Wondering about that name? “Depending on how it’s used, Kavarna (Czech) translates to mean café, coffeehouse, or coffee bar. This is only a small part of what Kavarna really is.”
Ami Maxine 