Two weeks ago, a new coffeeshop made its debut at Buena Vista and Jacksonia in the Mexican War Streets.
Beleza – Portuguese for “beauty” – will have many lovely offerings, says co-owner Gavin Deming, one of the shop’s
seven proprietors.
They’ll brew organic and mostly fair trade Peace Coffee from
Minneapolis and Rishi teas from Wisconsin. Also on hand will be edibles
from local baker Joel Freyvogel, the Priory, East End Co-op and water
from local bottler Sabio Springs. Even more enticing, Beleza will offer
free wireless.
Beleza’s owners are all transplants to
Pittsburgh and graduates of Hope College of Holland, Michigan. Deming
first came to town as an employee of the Pittsburgh Project, a
Christian community-development organization based on the North Side.
“I fell in love with Pittsburgh and convinced a few people to come
along with me,” he says. “I wouldn’t say it was all me, definitely, but
I think I was persuasive enough, we took a few trips, we wanted to live
close to each other and help each other out.”
Business hours
are 6 a.m.-5 p.m. M-F; 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturdays; 8a.m.-4 p.m. on
Sundays. Deming says that if they can get a needed zoning change,
Beleza would like to eventually add evening hours, too.
Source: Gavin Deming, Beleza
Photo copyright © Tom Altany