From left, Kevon King, Ryan Williams, and Mahammad Mangum (Photo courtesy of The Village Cafe)

By DCist contributor Cari Shane

The Village Cafe, which had its soft opening near Union Market this month, comes from three 23-year-old native Washingtonians—Kevon King, Mahammad Mangum and Ryan Williams—who say they’re building a village because a village helped build them.

The young entrepreneurs’ business concept is to “plant a seed, grow it, and pay it forward by providing a platform for business owners from underserved communities to showcase their talents and connect with other communities,” says Mangum, creative director of The Village Cafe.

Once they are firmly rooted in Northeast, the entrepreneurs plan to take their cafe into Southeast then other parts of D.C. and eventually to cities throughout the country.

The Village Cafe sources its products from Southeast and Northeast D.C., including DC Urban Greens for its produce, Southeastern Roastery for its coffee, and Good Thoughts Tea Company for its tea. Under the management of Williams, who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, the cafe serves light fare and pastries and, eventually, will offer handcrafted cocktails, wine, and beer. The cafe will also work with organizations such as Dreaming Out Loud, whose efforts include creating equal access to fresh, healthy food choices.

The cafe will also host events that will bring different communities together. Plans include sign language classes taught by members of the Gallaudet University community, “Village Talks” about healthy eating, and children’s story time with Politics and Prose.

Both King and Williams grew up east of the river, in wards 7 and 8, and have been friends since elementary school. Mangum is from Petworth, and met his business partners when all three attended Wilson High School in Tenleytown, a community which they say was far different from the ones in which they grew up.

“It changed my perspective on D.C., because growing up on the south side you only see one culture,” King says. “We exposed ourselves to uptown. It inspired me to want to help my own neighborhood.”

All three entrepreneurs say it was their families that encouraged them to go beyond their own communities to find more opportunities for themselves—and others.

“It started with the idea of really doing something for others,” says Magnum. “It’s really what a village is. You see the different elements in what we are doing with Politics and Prose and events at Union Market and Edens [the commercial retail group behind Union Market]. They are all coming together as a village environment. It’s the togetherness of people.”

The space echoes that togetherness: The Village Cafe is located in the same space as Edens’ new offices as well as the new Politics and Prose. An alcove between the businesses allows visitors to walk easily between the bookstore and the cafe.

The Village Cafe’s team has a connection to Edens that stretches back years. While in high school, Williams, who always wanted to be a chef, enrolled in Brain Food, a nonprofit that focuses on empowering teens through kitchen skills. During a field trip to the then- brand new Union Market, Williams met Richie Brandenburg, former culinary operations director for José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup, who left for Edens in 2011 to become its first director of culinary strategy. Brandenburg has since become Williams’ mentor, and was the first person the team turned to when they wrote their business pitch.

“I told him I want to start a Union Market in Southeast and he took the idea to Edens CEO,” Williams says.

“I think this is the first step of many,” says Brandenburg of the young entrepreneurs. “They have a long game and this will be proof of concept for them. This will give them the credibility of being business owners.”

But the young men say they don’t feel pressure to prove their concept, to make it work despite the disparate cultural forces at play, because they know it’s a concept that should exist.

“I feel like I am living my purpose right now,” says Williams. “I hope I can show younger kids in my neighborhood that you can do this. I hope that I can be an example for them. I want to be an inspiration.”

The Village Cafe is located at 1272 Fifth Street, NE. Hours are Sunday-Monday 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday 8 a.m.-8 p.m.