Local coffee shop does part to provide safe space for Calgarians

Jessica McCarrel is the owner of Kaffeeklatsch at 1205 – 1 Street SW.

Calgary — Jessica McCarrel, owner of Kaffeeklatsch, a local coffee joint on 1 Street SW, wants her customers to know that her business is a safe space for everyone.

The shop serves coffee but also encourages each cup to be an invitation to chat and staff have created a code word for anyone who is feeling unsafe.

Customers can go to the front counter and place an order for a 'non-fat Café Americano' and from there they are guided to answer a few questions digitally.

“We created a menu item on our Square POS system,” said McCarrel. “They can respond to what kind of request for help they need and we will be able to assist them.”

When they step up to the counter, it looks as if customers are placing a regular coffee order but staff are all aware and can discreetly help them if they need it.

"It gets printed out like a regular coffee order,” said McCarrel. "We can very quietly do what we need to do to de-escalate, instead of escalate, the scenario."

McCarrel says her customers are always safe and welcome and can simply ask for help if they are comfortable doing so. She says they created the code word for times when an unwanted person may still be with them.

“Sometimes, especially when a person is on a bad date or being followed, that person is still there with them, so the code word is needed in order to not alert the person who is causing the harm.”

For more information, visit the KoffeeKlatsch website.