The Roasterie

the sweet smell of bohemian beans

By Kate Kinsley

I am sitting on a worn bench outside The Roasterie sipping a deliciously smooth Americano. The burnt toast smell of the roasting coffee beans inside fills the air, drawing regulars and the curiosity of passers-by. Through the glass window of the café I can see a group of students drawing and trading conversation. A weathered looking man sits in the corner observing everyone and occasionally speaking to whoever will listen. Next to the window a young man, a student perhaps, is deeply engaged in a book. The place is filled with people of various ages and varying appearances. A guitar leans against the wall beneath a set of drawings and outside in the plaza one determined drummer beats out a rhythm.

Over the 21 years it has been here, The Roasterie has served as the hub for a variety alternative cultures. It has been a meeting place for road bikers and skateboarders. It has drawn punks and hippies, hipsters and intellects. What is it, I wonder, that draws such a diverse group of people to this café? The chill in the air finally beats my determination and I move inside. I manage to find a spot on the bar and watch the barista’s quick movements. My eyes wander over the walls covered in newspaper clippings, photos and grinders of all shapes and sizes. The barista turns out to be Lucy Rybicka, an aspiring local artist. She chats animatedly with customers and enthusiastically describes for me an art show that The Roasterie recently displayed. “It was amazing! And it was this guy who comes in all the time!” Then I realize what draws people to this café. It is this open atmosphere that encourages local culture and creativity.

Coffeehouses have been breeding grounds for arts and culture since their inception in the sixteenth century. In cities such as Cairo, Mecca and Constantinople men gathered in early cafés or “schools of the cultured” to discuss politics and philosophy, play chess, and make music. Many seminal moments in arts, literature and politics took place in cafés. Dadaism first defined itself during Hugo Ball’s cabaret in Café Voltaire. The Boston Tea Party was planned in a café. Not to mention the countless poets and authors who had their start at local coffeehouse readings. Here, at The Roasterie, evidence of cultural engagement and production surrounds me. Joel Hibbard, a current employee, echoes this thought saying, “it is a place where you can see the art scene in action.” He also refers to it as a “blue collar establishment.” This combination of creativity and middle class patronage has a refreshingly organic quality free of the elitism that often surrounds the arts.

Lech Wojakowski, the owner of The Roasterie, characterizes himself as an art lover. He is a robust man with grey hair and a moustache that curls upward aristocratically. His air is both friendly and honest yet underpinned with a certain shrewdness. Every month Lech invites a different local artist to show his or her work in the café. He doesn’t require any academic background or CV. He allows just about anyone to show his or her work saying, “I’ve never taken the role of the critic. I think if they are brave enough to submit themselves to the public eye then by all means let them do it.” I glance at the work on the wall and consider whether or not I would be as encouraging.

This open attitude extends into Lech’s business and hiring practices. He is not one to judge upon appearances, and at The Roasterie, individuality quickly trumps past work experience. Lech is a man who clearly cares deeply for his staff. As he tells me about the feats of his previous employees he practically beams with pride. Evidently, his rather unconventional hiring practices appear to have paid off. His staff appears to be both devoted and happy. One employee said it is “hard not to become kind of dedicated to [The Roasterie]. Once you work here you see how great it is. All of the people are really unique” and bring their different musical tastes and styles into the café. Peter Komierowski, Roasterie barista cum graphic designer, says that, “it is a great place to network. A great community.” When I ask Lech about what makes The Roasterie such a popular place he tells me that it is largely the people that work here. His employees add that Lech himself is a big part of the attraction. “It has a lot to do with the boss,” says Peter. “He is a pretty open kinda guy. It wouldn’t be The Roasterie without Lech.”

Originally from Poland, Lech was inspired to open the café when he noticed that Calgary really didn’t have anywhere that you could get European style “strong, dark, black coffee.” In his words a café “is a culture, a place to meet people”, or to just observe life. Sitting at the counter, drinking yet another Americano and enjoying the conversation around me, I think he is right. The Roasterie and other cafés like it provide an experience that transcends the commoditized culture that franchised cafés represent. Where Starbucks offers prepackaged cultural objects that reflect their manufactured image, The Roasterie provides an environment, an atmosphere that accepts and encourages culture and cultural productions of almost every kind.

Looking at my empty mug I wonder, now that I am done writing, should I have another coffee or should I go?