For the second year in a row, One World Café has been named Best of Moscow Coffee Shops. The café, located on the corner of Sixth and Main Street, opened in 2005 as a space to bring the community together.
“The primary vision was to be a part of the community, and have it be an opportunity to get involved with other organizations,” co-owner Brandy Sullivan said \. “It’s a great place for that under-21 crowd that really didn’t have too much of a social place to hang out.”
Students and community members alike utilize the space to hold meetings, study, play games or just hang out.
One World may be new to some, but others have been getting their morning coffee there for years.
Al and Jean are an older couple in the community that love One World, its staff and the owners.
“We’ve never had a complaint, and I can’t say that of every place I’ve drunk beer in or had coffee in,” Al said. “All kinds of people come in here, and they all are treated
about the same way. It’s a good place to come, and the owners are really good people.”
With spring slowly but surely approaching on the Palouse, One World’s outdoor seating will be seeing a lot more use. One World’s owners worked alongside the University of Idaho College of Art and Architecture to add this beloved space.
“Our students are so important to who we are,” Sullivan said. “A great example is the students in the architecture program, a couple summers ago, were the ones behind the exterior expansion. That was a group of amazing students and their professors who got to work and did that whole design and build.”
Just like their menu offers a diverse range of options, One World is a place for a diverse group of people. No matter age, race, gender or sexuality, everyone is welcome. One of the biggest pieces of One World’s identity is providing space for all.
“We try to create a place that people feel comfortable not only coming to, but also meeting other people and talking to other people at,” Kate Gustafson, a barista at One World, said. “We just want to provide a safe space for everybody.”
No matter what time or how busy, joy always radiates from behind the counter. Gustafson was slinging coffee at 4 p.m., completely focused on providing the best product she could.
“It is awesome working here,” Gustafson said. “The community is really nice, and to meet other people in your community. It’s honestly just been a really great job.”
One World provides a safe and accepting space for the whole community from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Whether it be to study, hang out with friends, hold a meeting or just get a boost for the day, all community members can stop in. Space is limited though, so the staff asks that guests limit their visit to 30 minutes during busy times.
Check out the Best of Moscow here!
James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jamesaldrich25