Kate Seward, General Manager for The District shared her missional hope for the coffee house, “We are a bakery and a coffee shop and we are focused on love in practical ways. We are here to serve the community and the whole vibe here is that this is love.”

Mostly run by volunteers and part of Calvary Chapel’s ministry The District offers a wide variety of “very cool” opportunities of a real-world love for a demographic that Kate says is, “So across the board!” Refugee training programs, free food potlucks, international sponsorships, a 20’s to 30’s group, downtown business folk, younger families, homeless men and women, live music with open mike nights, Q and A events, hosting a live feed for worship, and a welcoming space for people to hang out. When asked if is close to a Kingdom of God experience, Kate responded thoughtfully, “I hope so. People are choosing to work here because they want to love. It is an honor to work with them. Make’s it a special place.” Encouraged by the volunteers and the incredible interactions with the people they serve, Kate also shared, “It is bold to be here.”

Sharing about their current almost underground location Kate said with a hint of nostalgia, “It is pretty cool to see what God has done with this place.” They are relocating to the old Boise Café near 10th and Bannock in mid September partly due to the great growth of their 20’s to 30’s group. Kate said with a can do stretch and sigh gearing up for a move, “It’s a better location for everyone.”

An independent local roaster, Saranac Coffee, roasts for the coffee house. When asked about her favorite coffee drink on the menu Kate asked me, “Have you tried our Cardamom Latte?” My no was followed with a request for spelling, “Cada what?” Kate continued with a smile, “C A R D A M O M, and it is this amazing spice from India.” Taking a breath she said, “We grind up the seeds of the spice with our beans and infuse it into an espresso. It goes great with our in house simple syrup.” With a quick trip to the land of Google we learn from the great and powerful Wikipedia that, Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic, resinous fragrance. Black cardamom has a distinctly more smoky, though not bitter, aroma, with a coolness some consider similar to mint. I’ll have one please.

If you are looking to spice up your day order a Cardamom Latte at The District Coffee House and while you are there share the love.

Dr. Tom Lobaugh

Inspiration Consultant