Bonhomie Espresso Bar (pronounced baa·nuh·mee), a Haitian-inspired cellular espresso cart, is at the moment nestled inside Flora & Fauna—a Black-owned plant and report store in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Sq.. A vibrant ambiance fills the air right here, curated with mid-century furnishings, crops fantastically staged with intention, and the heartbeat of soulful beats. It’s the place group gathers over espresso, and it displays Bonhomie’s heartbeat—lakou, the Haitian Creole phrase for “yard,” however extra deeply, an emblem of the communal courtyard: a shared area for generations of households, neighbors, and pals to return collectively.

Michelle and Victoria Dean are the founders of Bonhomie; Michelle, whose Haitian heritage has formed the imaginative and prescient for Bonhomie, by no means imagined it might result in what she and her spouse, Victoria, are constructing as we speak.

Michelle started her espresso journey in school, the place she labored as a barista. Her love for wine and its sensory nuances drew her into the parallel worlds of terroir and tasting. One morning, throughout a shift, she had the chance to serve Alton Brown, the famend host of the Meals Community. To her shock, he ordered a easy drip espresso. 

“It shifted one thing in me,” Michelle recollects. “Right here was Meals Community’s most interesting, somebody with entry to each taste possible selecting a easy drip espresso. It jogged my memory there’s grandeur in simplicity.”

That ethos of quiet excellence continues to information Bonhomie’s strategy. However inspiration hardly ever arrives unexpectedly. For Michelle and Victoria, it deepened over time, particularly in moments of celebration and reminiscence.

Whereas internet hosting a Haitian Flag Day celebration at dwelling, surrounded by pals, meals, and laughter, Victoria made kremas, a conventional Haitian drink typically served throughout holidays. It’s wealthy, candy, and normally spiked. Michelle, ever the dreamer, puzzled aloud: What would this style like in espresso? That query sparked a artistic journey layering Haitian spices and hand-crafted syrups to rediscover the flavors of dwelling. 

Although Victoria isn’t a lot of a espresso drinker herself, her position at Bonhomie is very hands-on. She brings a recent perspective behind the bar, leaning into the small print of her love for matcha whereas exploring the nuances of cuppings and, extra lately, roasting. “I used to say espresso wasn’t my factor,” Victoria laughs. “Now I’m the primary to style each new recipe.” Collectively, they craft one thing that feels each rooted and ever-evolving. Whereas they construct aspect by aspect, their encouragement of each other expands the craft and imaginative and prescient of Bonhomie.

“The Seattle espresso scene is overflowing with nice espresso outlets,” Victoria says. “There are such a lot of individuals doing wonderful issues. However that doesn’t imply there’s no room for you. Simply be clear about your why and what units you aside.”

Michelle’s Haitian roots grew to become the inspiration for an area to share historical past, taste, and reminiscence with the group. Every drink title, written in Haitian creole, turns into a quiet but agency assertion that language is energy. “Language carries reminiscence,” Michelle and Victoria clarify. “Each order is a reminder,  an opportunity to attach with one thing deeper.” Bonhomie operates with a completely plant-based menu. And like every part they do, the drinks carry intention.

The Kafe ak Limonad, a private favourite, is a chilly brew with home vanilla syrup, brightened with lemonade, and grounded within the richness of Haitian beans sourced by Haiti Espresso. Assume Arnold Palmer, however reimagined. In the meantime the Bannan Dous Latte is a double shot of espresso blended with caramelized candy plantain syrup, a warming spice mix, non-alcoholic rum, and oat milk. This distinctive creation pays homage to considered one of Haiti’s most important elements, providing a comforting sip that carries the heat of dwelling, whether or not scorching or iced.

Each ingredient tells a deeper story, one which reaches again to the early 1700s, when French colonizers first launched espresso to the land then often called Saint-Domingue. By the late 18th century, Haiti had emerged as one of many world’s main espresso exporters. Cultivated in wealthy volcanic soil and grown at excessive altitudes, Haitian espresso earned a popularity for its distinctive profile: medium-bodied, gently acidic, and layered with notes of cocoa, spice, and historical past.

Bonhomie brings these flavors to life in each providing, not solely by way of its beans but in addition by way of house-made syrups crafted to enhance, elevate, and replicate the complexity of Haitian taste.

Every cup holds intention. However it’s the group that brings it to life. 

For Michelle and Victoria, group isn’t only a idea, it’s the inspiration of every part they do. Michelle’s early experiences within the church taught her that exhibiting up for others, particularly within the onerous moments, is what makes group actual. For Victoria, it’s about creating intentional areas the place connection can thrive the place individuals aren’t simply welcomed, however actually seen. Collectively, they’ve constructed Bonhomie as an extension of that perception: a spot rooted in care, the place tradition is widely known, tales are shared, and each interplay is an invite to belong.

That very same spirit carries into each facet of the expertise, together with their strategy to generosity. In Haiti, tipping isn’t customary. They’ve boldly reimagined the apply by inviting company to donate to P4H World, a nonprofit devoted to ending poverty in Haiti by way of schooling and group improvement. It’s generosity by design, a reframe that shifts worth from transaction to transformation.

That continued dedication to tradition, connection, and care is what retains pushing the boundaries of what Bonhomie means to the Seattle group, a spot they’ve referred to as dwelling for a few years. Their affect speaks for itself not as a result of it’s totally different for the sake of being totally different, however as a result of it’s deeply aligned in goal.

That is what makes Bonhomie Espresso particular: the tales, the tradition, the group.

Lisa Hicklen is a contract journalist based mostly in Seattle. Learn extra Lisa Hicklen for Sprudge.

All pictures by David Jaewon Oh until in any other case famous.