While the Fourth Reich blasts a steady stream of noxious fumes into every aspect of our daily lives, some public refuges still feel like temporary retreats from the onslaught. The newly opened Soul Blends cafe is one of these oases of calm. Covered from sidewalk to roofline in saffron paint, the building proudly announces itself on the West Oakland corner of Louise and 32nd streets. The color is suggestive of Soul Blends’ signature espresso drinks, such as the Moroccan spice latte.
The soothing interior features an abstract taupe and slate-blue mural. Organic, plant-like shapes overlap and sway in time with the music. The sage walls complement the mural and peacefully enfold customers as they study, read and chat. The feng shui flow is very good. The tables are spaced apart from each other and set back from the front counter, out of the path between the two side doorways. Once seated, customers look like they plan to stay put in their chairs for the duration of their stay.
Justice Chambers and Jenna Garrett started the business together as a Lake Merritt pop-up in 2021. Chambers was bitten by the coffee bug when he worked as a barista in San Francisco’s Financial District. Garrett brings her business admin experience to the venture. “We had gotten reinspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of Oakland,” Chambers said. “Seeing how a lot of Black and brown players in the coffee industry had really been making their way into the fold.”
They started to do research and then began roasting green coffee beans in their apartment. Garrett told me they found a “popcorn-style” roaster online. “It roasts about a pound-and-a-half, and you get a little under a pound out,” she said. These initial batches were very small but allowed the couple to investigate the science of roasting.
“We got to see the beans as they would change, and really apply all five of our senses to the process to understand the fundamentals,” Garrett added. Learning the science and history of roasting created a bond between the two that now extends outward.
“We wanted to do something we were passionate about, more than just corporate America,” Garrett said. “Something bigger for the community that would bring people together.” In addition to their initial attempts at roasting, the two also fell in love with making coffee and espresso drinks. Popping up at Lake Merritt provided them with an opportunity to connect with locals and visitors alike.
Through the farmers’ markets they met Janay the Plantrepreneur, the founder of Hella Plants Market. That was Soul Blends’ first pop-up outside of Lake Merritt. After connecting with Janay, their network of other like-minded entrepreneurs began to blossom. Chambers and Garrett eventually connected with the owners of the building where their cafe is located.
Currently, Soul Blends sources its beans from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and Peru. “We’ve formed a very holistic approach when it comes to flavor profiling,” Chambers said. “Developing light or medium roasts, I feel like we have a palate for appreciating all of it.” At the cafe, they serve blends and single-origin coffee. The “Drip of the Day,” he said, is “usually something to diversify people’s palates and keep them on their toes, which, in coffee, is a good thing.”
Weekdays Soul Blends serves pastries from Oaklandia Cafe x Bakery. And on the weekends it offers baked goods from Starter Bakery. Other food items on the menu include an avocado toast, made with an intricate array of ingredients, and Hella Dac Biet’s popular fried-rice burritos.
Since opening at the end of March, the cafe has become a vital part of the neighborhood. On April 5 Soul Blends welcomed a gathering of the Black Girl Book Club, which is led by the Konson Collective. In hindsight, figuring out the best way to roast coffee beans was a point of departure for the couple. Garrett, whose go-to drink is a vanilla latte, said, “Our passion is to do more for the community and to serve others; it’s really just for the people to feel good.”
Soul Blends, 3207 Louise St., Oakland. Open daily 8am to 4pm, closed Tue. 510.705.1958. soulblendscoffee.com.
