New and Inclusive St. Paul Coffee Shops That Opened In 2022

2022 is almost over, and in reflecting on the year, I want to look back at some of my favorite things… coffee, coffee shops, and finding inclusive and welcoming places.

Like most of America, my love for the taste and variety of coffee has definitely expanded in 2022, and so has the variety of coffee shops in Minnesota.

I came across this TikTok from one of my favorite “TikTokers” @kristeninmn, who shared the new coffee shops that opened in St. Paul in 2022, and I’m here to share a little overview of each of them!

Flava Café

Located at 623 University Ave W, St Paul, Flava is just an absolutely loving environment to check out! Not only do they have amazing coffee, but Flava Café states on its website that they “build community through coffee and create opportunities for young women of color and gender expansive youth by propelling them from coffee to career.”

In addition, their website shares that they “are a space for people to engage in transformative, culturally relevant conversation surrounded by locally sourced merchandise and artwork.”

This is so beautiful and just what our world needs! Flava Café has many items on its menu including coffee (duh), specialty teas, smoothies, and breakfast and lunch options. Also, the names of items are so unique, like they really thought of everything to make this place such a welcoming, loving, and informative environment.

Flava Café is open Mon-Wed & Fri from 7:30am -5:30pm, Thur. from 7:30am-4:30pm, and Saturday from 8:30am–5:00pm. Check out their menu here.

Abogados Café

Located at 1053 Dale St N Suite 102, St Paul, aka the Como Park area, Abogados (meaning lawyers) is the “first Latina-owned coffee shop in the Twin Cities and the first law-themed one in the US!”

Started by husband-and-wife duo, Ofelia & Inti, who are “both abogados (lawyers) and native Hondurans. With a passion for coffee and law, they wish to warmly invite you to the Latin American coffee experience.” This is quoted from the beginning of their story shared on their website, and I highly recommend reading their journey to creating Abogados because it is so touching and inspirational.

In addition to reclaiming coffee’s Latin American heritage, Abogados works to be organically delicious, ecologically sound, and passionately stable! Ofelia & Inti really put their heart and soul into Abogados and it shows when traveling through their website. They share their story and how everything came to be (even the location), share their mission, and even give a guide on flavors and roasts! Check out their menu here and head to Abogados soon!

Roots Café

Last but not least, Roots Café is located in 788 E 7th St, St Paul (inside the Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center), and “is a youth lead creative economic development program incubated by International Indigenous Youth Council,” as stated by Twin Cities and Indigenous Roots on their Facebook page.

While they have a lovely menu, an article from Bring Me the News states they were “hoping to begin offering youth hours in the evening this fall to provide a place for local kids and teens to do homework or hang out with friends.” Now that they have been open for quite some time this dream has come true and since mid-October, Roots Café has held 'After School Café Hours' from 4-8 pm.

This is a time for youth to gather with the community while having access to resources such as career support, tutoring, learning to create a podcast, creating art in multiple disciplines, board games, snacks, and cultural enrichment activities.

Right now, Roots Café is closed until January 17^th as a winter break, but don’t worry, they will be back in 2023 to continue making an impact and a safe space for youth in the area. they are open from 7:30-12:30 pm and 4-8pm for after school hours.

I really hope you and I get multiple chances to check these places out as they are doing so much for their communities and Minnesota as a whole, by creating safe and inclusive places for many people. All information is inspired by the TikTok provided and credited to each of the café’s websites.