St. Petersburg is celebrated for its fabulous weather, beautiful vistas, world-class food scene, and thriving cultural atmosphere, but the people truly make this city something special. In appreciation, each month Green Bench shines a light on one of the many people who make St. Pete unique.
This month we are focused on Mandy Keyes, owner and operator of the Community Café on Central Avenue. Opened in December 2013, the vegetarian, vegan restaurant and coffee shop in the heart of the LGTBQfriendly Grand Central District is a popular gathering spot. It’s easy to see why.Keyes has created a place with a cozy, welcoming vibe and great food. From the local art on the walls to the locally sourced products on the menu and the community events she hosts, her love for (and support of) St. Petersburg and its diversity is obvious.
Looking For Joy
Becoming a business owner was not a forgone conclusion. “I’m not a born entrepreneur,” Keyes said. The Wisconsin native graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Madison and began a career in interior design. She liked the work and was good at it, but she also felt as though she was hiding her identity as a “queer kinky woman.” Plus, it’s COLD in northern Wisconsin! In 2009, when her then girlfriend decided to move to Florida, Keyes grabbed the opportunity for warm weather and a new start. The relationship was not meant to be a lasting love connection, as it turned out, but St. Petersburg was. Its funky, bohemian vibe reminded her of Madison, and it immediately “felt like home.” But she soon realized something was still missing. Her true joy came in connecting people, and from that realization an idea was born: to make building community the focus of her life.
Building Community
To do that, she needed a space. Originally, Keyes’ goal was to be part of a food co-op. When that idea fell apart, she forged ahead on her own. After refinancing her house and recruiting a small investor, she had just enough capital to open Community Café. She offers great vegetarian and vegan food and a wide selection of coffee, tea, and kombucha, but she also opens her doors to the local community. The Community Café provides space for art openings and local musicians as well as organized groups like St. Pete for Peace, Spread the Vote/Project ID, Drag Queen Story Hour, and the St. Pete Time Bank. As Keyes envisioned, Community Café has become a part of the community and a place for people to connect.
Supporting Community
Informed in November that her lease would not be extended beyond the end of the year, Keyes and the Community Café face an uncertain future as she endeavors to find an available space amid rapidly rising rents. Understandably, she is distressed about this turn of events, but the community’s reaction has provided a constant state of uplift. As she told me, the overwhelming amount of public support has “reaffirmed both the validity of (her) original goal and the importance of continuing to pursue that goal.”
She is thankful for that support and is hopeful that this unexpected detour will lead to something even better. As of this writing, the Café’s fate is still in flux, although plans are in the works for an “even cooler” community co-op space where she and like-minded partners can keep building community. For up-to-date news, visit the Facebook page @CommunityCafeStPete.
