For ten years the little coffee shop tucked away off 17th avenue and 10th street has been the gay locale for people to meet over coffee and chat. Whether it’s a group of friends sitting around the outdoor patio, popping in for a coffee on the go or curling up on the couch on a date, the gay community and the coffee shop have long gone hand in hand.
Originally Grabba Java and now Timothy’s World of Coffee, the store was purchased by new owner Ywun (pronounced “Ivan”) eight months ago. Since then he has been working to improve the store and continue to make it a comfortable space for the GLBT community to gather.
“There was no specific reason for purchasing this location, I came to look at it and felt at home when I walked in here,” he told GayCalgary.com. “Before I took over the store I didn’t have any experience with gay business and didn’t realize how important the gay customer is. The gay community is my biggest customer and very important. This coffee shop should be open to gay people and we have a great relationship with many members of the community.”
Ywun was caught off guard by how great the gay community has been. Not being gay himself, he has learned a great deal on the job.
“There is a lot of kindness and loyalty to this store. Since I am not that familiar with gay culture I’ve hired a gay manager for the store who will be joining on soon. The former owner of the store was gay and this was a very popular shop among the community. My goal is to return this store to the gay community. The community needs a place to hang out with their friends and socialize in a comfortable environment and my objective is to offer that.”
Ywun hasn’t found that his customers have felt unwelcome because he is straight.
“It hasn’t been an issue, there isn’t a difference between straight and gay people in my mind or my store. The gay community is more friendly and generous and really supportive. If other customers don’t like being [in] a gay friendly environment, then they don’t need to come here. My major customers do come from the gay community and this store has been here for ten years as a primarily gay coffee shop. I know the community has been watching what we are doing and this coffee shop is about them.”
With that in mind, changes have been afoot at Timothy’s.
“We are making improvements to serve the community better. We also offer superior food and drink. Our quality and pricing is very good. All of our baked goods are fresh, which leads to a slightly higher price but it is very good quality. We have improvements like the new panini machine to make Italian sandwiches and we offer both breakfast and lunch options for panini. We have a new waffle maker and will be offering Belgian waffles.”
In addition, the store has undergone a number of cosmetic changes.
“The comfort level is very important. We just put in new comfortable seating along the wall as opposed to harder chairs. We have the couches and chairs, and we’ve painted to make it a warmer environment. We have several local artists displaying their work on our walls to support them and make it homier. The shop isn’t very big so we are making it feel like home, instead of an industrial feel. The idea of coming here is like meeting people in your own living room and socializing.”
The most important aspect of the current and future success of Timothy’s is in customer service, a topic that was brought up several times in the interview.
“We recognize what our purpose and goal is. While obviously we need to make money to survive, our purpose is to serve and take care of people. We give great service and look at what we can do to reach our goals. We started by improving our service. All of the people that I have right now are excellent workers who treat each customer with honesty and respect. For example, people think dark coffee is very strong but many blends are not, and we will patiently work with the customer to help them find coffee that works for them. We have a very good quality of coffee. When you build a good relationship with your customers then you will have a successful business.”
While the store faces many challenges, the history and support of the GLBTQ community will ensure that many more people, young and old, will find it as a place to meet and make friends, build relationships, and be comfortable with themselves.
“The way I do business and the way I live my life is to treat people well and honestly. My regular customers know me well and what I am doing here, and things have improved. I believe the future is bright for this location. “
Timothy’s World of Coffee
1610 10th St SW
(403) 244-7750
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