By: Ash Hochstettler
Staff-Writer
Welcome back to another week of Sip & Study! This week’s cafe adventure was a bit different than usual, but equally if not more exciting than previous ones. On March 28, local co-working space LangLab held a private event to introduce their new project, an artist-run cafe. The event was to test out and evaluate menu items, explain the project and get a feel for what the cafe will be like when it opens in approximately three weeks.
Each guest tried various different dishes created by the staff and had the opportunity to meet other attendees that are hoping to become involved with this project at LangLab. The goal of the cafe is to create an all-ages space that directly supports local artists’ work and creates
a safe, welcoming environment for community engagement in South Bend.
During the event, small business Homegrown Hype had a pop-up shop selling their art including jewelry, pins, sweatshirts and other items. When describing the business, one of the co-founders Nia Okereke said that it is essentially “an artist union”. Okereke continued explaining their motto about contributing to the art scene in the South Bend area, saying, “Grow your own flowers. As long as you do that, our whole community will grow.”
Matti Giddings, the creator of the cafe project, expressed that they are interested in making art connections among IU South Bend students, staff and faculty as well as other local artists in the area.
Giddings has asked for feedback using a QR code survey, which you can take by scanning the code attached to this story, to gain input on the use of the space, the menu and the best hours to be open. This new cafe will be a great addition to the South Bend community, and I am so excited to go back when it’s finally open!
