A rainbow flag can be seen hanging through the window of the brick coffee shop that sits on the corner of North Riverfront Drive and East Washington Street in Old Town Mankato.
The bright blue door on the side with a gold-plated watermark opens to an atmosphere that owner Jenn Melby-Kelley describes as safe, positive and “home.”
To the right of the register is a photograph of Jenn and Carol Ortman Perkins, whom she said inspired her to run her business from a feminist standpoint.
“I want to walk through the door and think, ‘I love who I am,’” said Jenn.
Jenn hopes her customers feel the same way when they walk into the Coffee Hag, a business she has fostered to be a haven for anyone looking to take in local talent, enjoy a vegetarian treat or simply relax in a safe space.
From the Beginning
The Coffee Hag was opened in 1992 by Patti Ruskey and Lisa Coons. Jenn had worked there as a barista in the ’90s, prior to buying the café in 2007. She said her intention was to expand the great foundation that had been created by Ruskey and Coons, focusing on music, atmosphere and empowerment.
Jenn said her business style was inspired by Perkins, her college mentor and advisor. Perkins was a professor and the chair of the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato from 1993-2003.
“Carol made the women in class feel intelligent,” Jenn said.
Maria Bevacqua is the current chair of the GWS Department at MNSU.
“The part of Jenn that has been deeply committed to GWS is the same part that has created the ambiance, which the Coffee Hag is best known for,” Bevacqua said. She described Jenn as, “a true feminist.”
Since Jenn began running the Coffee Hag it has been remodeled to accommodate an increase in business and won several awards, including “Minnesota’s Women-Owned Small Business of the Year,” last spring.
Warm Atmosphere
The café’s aesthetic is made up of recycled treasures. The artisan tin ceiling panels have been given a coat of brown paint, creating a warm feel while preserving the antique architecture.
The stage at the front of the café is made from reclaimed barn wood. The piano that was once on the stage has been replaced by a seating area for guests.
Benches that resemble church pews line the perimeter of the café. Jenn’s wife, Anna Melby-Kelley, painted what Jenn refers to as “library chairs,” with various bold colors. The chairs sit throughout the room complementing the dark wood tables and floors.
The right wall is a display of work by local artists. The left wall is a combination of Jenn’s collected records and artwork that has been both gifted by and purchased from community members. Adjacent to those is the “Women Power Wall.” It is a collage of influential women that was created by Anna; Perkins can be found on the lower center of the wall.
The wall is about 9 feet tall and the entire surface is covered with photos of various shapes and sizes. The hanging lights shine over the faces of powerful women, some in color and some black and white. This piece of art is heavily symbolic of the feminist principles at the foundation of this café.
Apart from the dining room, the kitchen holds a lot of what makes the Coffee Hag a unique dining experience. The new kitchen has allowed an expansion of menu options to keep up with the increase in business. Ruskey and Coons opened the Coffee Hag as a vegetarian friendly establishment, and it remains that way today.
As a devoted vegan with a background in “food-politics,” Bevacqua said that the exclusively meatless menu is a valuable service offered in a city that is not generally vegan friendly.
Music and Community
As guests enjoy café treats, the Coffee Hag often hosts live entertainment.
An assortment of musicians have played at the Coffee Hag, from local talent such as Good Night Gold Dust to more mainstream artists like Brandi Carlile. Jenn said that it isn’t uncommon for performers from out of state to stop at the Coffee Hag on their way to Minneapolis.
Bevacqua said that she remembers the first time she visited the Coffee Hag about 17 years ago. She had been looking for an apartment, and a month before moving to Mankato she went with some friends and listened to a live band.
David Gardner said he has lived in Mankato for about a little over a year and visits the Coffee Hag once or twice a week.
“I come for the art rotations on the walls, the friendliness of the baristas and the musical performances,” said Gardner.
Music is one of many links connecting the community to the Coffee Hag.
Jenn said that every year during Mankato Pridefest, the Coffee Hag is a place where people like to gather before the parade.
A blue sign on the restroom door reads, “All Gender Restroom. Any person may use this restroom regardless of gender identity or expression.” The gender neutral restrooms are yet another example of the café’s inclusivity to all people.
“One of the first things I did when moving to Mankato was to look for a safe space,” said Gardner, who is the Interim Assistant Director of the LGBT Center at MNSU.
Gardner said he moved to Mankato a little over a year ago and now visits the Coffee Hag about once or twice a week. He said the establishment has provided a good resource for himself as well as his students.
Last April, in response to bad weather, the Coffee Hag hosted Mankato’s annual Take Back the Night event, which is usually held outdoors. The event’s purpose is to acknowledge issues of sexual, relationship and domestic violence and give power to survivors. Some of the speakers at this event were faculty members, students and law enforcement officers.
“It is an empowering experience to provide space for those types of events,” said Jenn.
The Coffee Hag is has become a communal space for people to love who they are and enjoy the company of others.
When asked if there is a target audience for her business, Jenn replied, “human beings.”