Indaba Coffee Grows into Monroe Neighborhood
Indaba Coffee Grows into Monroe Neighborhood
BY SYDNEY FLUKERThings were getting cramped at Indaba Coffee.
Roasters were having to decline wholesale orders while working six days a week to keep up with demand as bags piled high on the shelves. Despite having a 3000 square foot warehouse, Indaba Coffee had outgrown it in about three years — just in time to step into their new space.
Founder Bobby Enslow opened the doors to Indaba Coffee on Monroe in mid-July for the soft launch, welcoming customers into their fourth shop at the south entrance to the North Monroe Business District.
A few steps from the back of the shop lies their new warehouse, over double in size and able to accommodate bigger machinery. Now, the roasters have the capacity to accept more orders while working less, with the team only roasting twice a week.
The project had been in the works for a couple of years after developers approached Enslow with the opportunity to expand. Originally, Enslow said no because of financing concerns, so they asked again. A few months later, they asked again. On their final attempt, Enslow said yes.
“This developer’s heart and mission aligned a lot with ours — they wanted to go into urban neighborhoods and help them continue to transform,” Enslow says. “We want to go into a neighborhood and provide a community space, give back; so we found a way to make it happen.”
Lacking capital, Enslow launched an Indiegogo campaign to get the word out and took out loans to finance equipment. Despite the uncertainty, Enslow knew Indaba Coffee needed the space to grow.
“The process is scary as an entrepreneur; you’re taking a lot of risk,” Enslow says. “We have this vision of creating a space for the community, a space for people to connect, but also a coffee school and a roasting facility that allows us to grow our wholesale client base.”
Indaba began in 2009.
1425 W. Broadway Ave. was selected for its location in the West Central neighborhood, the poorest in the state at the time. Enslow wanted his shop to serve as a positive community space where neighbors could gather over a cup of joe.
After spending five years as a multi-roaster cafe serving coffee from all over the world, Enslow began roasting in 2014. Indaba Coffee began accepting wholesale orders right off the bat, beginning with smaller accounts like offices and restaurants. Now, their coffee can be found in restaurants like Old European and in coffee shops around the state, like Flying X Coffee in Kennewick or Common Ground Coffee in Tacoma.
Two shops opened in 2018, in Downtown and Kendall Yards. The downtown location is the (now) second-biggest, with plenty of tables and a meeting room for rent. Sitting around the corner from the Parkade on Riverside Avenue, this is where Indaba introduced its artisan toast menu. It’s also open later, serving beer and wine for folks to stay and study, work or connect into the evening.
The Summit Parkway shop opened to connect with the running community and the growing Kendall Yards neighborhood. Located inside Fleet Feet Spokane, the pop-up style joint is a launching point for walking the Centennial Trail or visiting shops in the retail district.
The Monroe location opened to consolidate Indaba’s roasting, training and cafe experience under one roof. It offers an abundance of varied seating, from couches to tables and bar chairs, and has a meeting room for rent when not in use as a coffee school.
Enslow decided to do things a little differently at this location, too, opting for what he calls the “people-first model.”
Instead of the beverage line with one person taking the order and passing it along to be made, baristas work one-on-one with customers throughout the ordering process, from the moment the customer says “hi” until the drink is served.
“We’ve flipped the model on its head here because we want to serve people first,” Enslow says. “Our baristas are getting to know our customers through the whole process of making the drink. They serve first, then settle up at the end.”
Though he notes it is technically less efficient, the rewards of building community and genuine relationships with customers are worth more than the bumps.
“My goal is to continue to grow,” Enslow says. “Not just coffee culture, but the community in general. I’m a big believer that coffee shops are one of the few places where there are real life connections happening — it’s a vital part of every neighborhood.”
Indaba Coffee on Monroe will have its grand opening on Sat., Sept. 21, to celebrate how far it's come as a company. The grand opening party will feature activities for families and kids during the day and a latte art competition fundraiser for Peak 7 Adventures in the evening.
Follow @indabacoffee on Instagram for more information.
INDABA COFFEE ON MONROE
2020 N. Monroe St.