Chicago Tribune, June 24, 2019: ‘Where coffee and community meet’: How Black South Side coffee shops use their spaces to serve more than cups of joe
Dion and Colette Tasker Steele opened Heritage Cafe less than a year ago on 79th Street. This month, the couple is already moving the coffee shop.
The location of their fresh storefront won’t be far from Heritage’s current spot near 79th Street and Bennett Avenue, though — and Dion said he’s had to explain as much to neighbors expecting otherwise.
“They think that I’m going (to Hyde Park), to move up, and I’m like, ‘No, I’m sticking my foot in the ground because this area (south South Shore) needs those spaces,’” he said. “I want to see the community flourish.”
The Tasker Steeles are part of a long history of Black business owners who have prioritized growth within their local communities more than their bottom line. They are also an example of residents and entrepreneurs using coffee shops and cafes as vehicles to rejuvenate their communities.
