Lille Bønne = Little Bean (Danish)

Our name gets a lot of questions. In short, it’s a nod to the Danish roots of our neighborhood (Holy Rosary Danish Church). But we’ve got a whole story on it, if you’re interested.

Why:

Many of us are living fairly isolated lives. We work at home, eat at home, exercise at home. If we have little kids, many of us have to socialize at home due to sleep schedules and the fact that our favorite bars don’t let kids in. But we’re missing something by not getting out of our homes. This is the place we’ll go. You can come for a smoothie in the morning and work for a bit before your afternoon yoga class. Meet a friend for lunch and then take an art class. Gather for drinks, live jazz, and book club. Catch up with friends while your kids play. 

What:

A community living room. Lille Bønne will be an extension of your own home. We’ll create a space where people will want to come and spend the day, and they’ll be so close to so many other great spots, that they can spend their evenings in the neighborhood, too. The cafe community center primarily features a cafe (because food is obviously at the center of everything), but equally prominent will be a studio space where people can take yoga classes, art classes, host private events, etc. We’ll have First Friday galleries, live music, fitness classes, a lending library, drag story hour, and more. It will be a radically inclusive space that anyone can call home away from home. 

How:

With minimal updates, we’ll transform the 150-year-old Danish church into a cafe and community space. All it needs are updated bathrooms, a cafe counter, seating, and a mixed-use studio space. Otherwise, the space will remain relatively unchanged and we’ll preserve the historic nature of the building.