Reopened Queer Cafe Lotus Brew Focuses on Accessibility Concerns

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Lotus Brew Coffee, an LGBTQ-owned coffee shop, has officially reopened in Grand Rapids, offering coffee, tea, and pastries at 211 Diamond Ave. near Cherry Street in the East Hills neighborhood. Owner Ruslan Maxwell Joseph Freeman turned the new space into a coffee shop in just over two weeks after getting the keys on June 15. The LGBTQ-owned coffee shop has been working to make its new space more accessible to wheelchair users, as it closed its location inside Communitea Wellness late last fall.

The LGBTQ-owned coffee shop closed its location inside Communitea Wellness late last fall with the goal of reopening on Dec. 1 in a bigger spot. Unexpected delays kept that from happening, though it offered pop-up shops at spots like House Rules and Chef Shack in the interim. Lotus Brew Coffee has now officially reopened, offering coffee, tea, and pastries at 211 Diamond Ave. near Cherry Street in the East Hills neighborhood.

Owner Ruslan Maxwell Joseph Freeman said last week’s soft opening and the grand reopening were both a success. He added that Lotus Brew served between 300 and 400 lattes on Thursday alone and went through about a month worth of supplies during the grand reopening. The coffee shop owner has firsthand experience with navigating obstacles in a wheelchair, having used a wheelchair for a year and two years of needing a cane.

The biggest goal now is to make the new space more accessible, as getting inside is difficult for wheelchair users. Freeman worked with the East Hills Business Association and the city of Grand Rapids to add a new handicap parking spot out front. However, getting inside is difficult for wheelchair users, as the front entrance has stairs and the side entrance has a curb.

Freeman is working with the Disability Advocates of Kent County to see what the next steps are for making the new space up to par. He has firsthand experience with navigating obstacles in a wheelchair, having experienced a fracture when he was a kid and two years of needing a cane.

Lotus Brew Coffee aims to be a safe community space where people can relax, hang out, and just be themselves, as they have always been a safe space for everyone in all walks of life.

Read More @ WOODTV

Source: Coffee Talk

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