New Kids on the Block: Roots Cafe

New Kids on the Block: Roots Cafe Main Photo

6 Mar 2023


One of the most recent additions to ESABA is Roots Cafe. Roots Cafe is a youth-run coffee shop located within the Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center on the East Side of St. Paul. The small shop caters to those looking to enrich their experience at the Arts Center through the taste of hot or cold brewed tea or coffee. Their coffee is brewed on-site, and their tea is made with ingredients native to Minnesota such as stinging nettle and burdock root. To some consumers, these may sound adventurous, but the usage of these plants in drinks and herbal medicine goes back hundreds of years. Their goal is to help Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous youth in the area build something from scratch that would be indicative of their culture and history. The Arts Center is located at 788 East 7th St. in Saint Paul, Minnesota. And the Cafe is open 4:30 - 7:30pm Monday - Thursday
 

by Theodore Melchoir, Metro State, photos courtesy of ESABA

788 East 7th Street, St. Paul, MN 55106, US