After years as a coffee house owner, I traded the shop for a software engineering career — but I never really left coffee behind.
When the pandemic faded and I found myself craving real human connection again, I had a simple idea: what if I just made coffee for my neighbors? No business plan, no branding strategy. Just good coffee and an open door.
That became Tony's Nolo Coffee Corner — Saturday coffee salons where I transform my Minneapolis apartment into a gathering spot for neighbors, friends, and whoever wanders in. It's free, it's casual, and the only agenda is conversation.
There's something disarming about a cup of coffee. It gives people permission to slow down, sit with a stranger, and actually talk. In a world that's increasingly mediated through screens and algorithms, I think that matters more than ever.
If you're curious or ever in the neighborhood, come by. Check out nolo.coffee for details.