On Friday, February 12^th, the Newport area of Jersey City welcomed its newest addition: Bwé Kafe! The Haitian-inspired café hosted a Grand Opening Valentine’s Celebration, complete with a ribbon cutting by Mayor Steven Fulop.

Attendees walked into the new local coffee shop in Jersey City and onto a pink carpet before they took pictures against a Valentine’s Day-themed backdrop. In commemoration of the holiday of love, every latte was topped with a foam heart and the pastries were decorated in pink and red. Bwé Kafe also served up a specialty coffee drink called ‘The Cupid,’ an espresso-based beverage made with Ghirardelli Chocolate, steamed milk and pink sprinkles… yum!

The co-owners are a brother and sister duo Evan and Dale Ryan. Dale’s husband, Tatsuaki Mori, and family friends Kafele Boothe, Akiko Masuda, Judy Rector also lend a helping hand at the cafe.

Bwé Kafe, which means ‘drink coffee’ in Haitian Creole, was inspired by a passion project of the co-owners’ mother, Maryanne Fike. According to the official website, Maryanne has been back to Haiti more than 15 times since her initial visit. She also co-founded Love for Haiti: The Ark Project, a nonprofit organization that assists children in Haiti. In an effort to sustain these efforts her children wanted to open a cafe, offering Haitian coffee, so a portion of the proceeds could be donated to the Love for Hati organization.

We highly recommend checking out this new local coffeehouse, which is located at 140 River Drive South, Jersey City, NJ. Welcome Bwé Kafe!

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