SOVA Opening Monday 11/12

A message from SOVA:
More than a year after R&B Coffee closed, I'm proud to say that SOVA has arrived. I received my C of O on Monday, and passed my health inspection this afternoon. I immediately went down to the DCRA building to pick up my business license, so I have everything I need to open. This coming Monday (Veterans Day), Nov. 12th, I will officially open the doors at 6:30 am.

The hours for SOVA (pre-alcohol license) will be as follows.

Mon - Friday, opening at 6:30 am
Saturday, opening at 7:00 am
Sunday, opening at 8:00 am (this is subject to change to 7:00 if there's enough demand from the neighborhood to open at that time on a Sunday)

Closing hours will be as follows

Sun - Thurs., 9pm
Fri. - Sat., Midnight (this time is also subject to change to 11pm if there is not enough demand)

Look forward to serving you all.

Frank Hankins

Congratulations Frank! I'm sure I'm not the only future patron excited about this. SOVA is located at 1359 H Street.

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UPDATE
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They also have WiFi!

H Street Co-op Fundraier @Sidamo

Coffee and Dessert Night at Sidamo Cafe
To Benefit the H Street Community Market

Help bring a co-op grocery store to the H Street Corridor by joining us for a night of Coffee, Desserts and Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony at Sidamo Cafe.

Event date: October 20th (Saturday) from 6-8pm
Place: Sidamo Coffee and Tea / 417 H St. NE

Ticket Price: $20
Description: The night includes coffee, desserts and participation in the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

To purchase tickets, go to our website at: http://www.hstcommunitymarket.org or email raynor@tcgillc.com

Coming Soon: SOVA

This picture was taken a coffee sampling during the H Street Festival. SOVA (1359 H Street) will be opening soon, but the date has not yet been set.

Sample SOVA Saturday

Frank Hankins, the owner, plans to open up at about noon and give away FREE espresso shots until they run out. He doesn't have his certificate of occupancy yet, so you won't be able to purchase anything from him, but this is a chance to meet him and sample the wares a bit. The second floor is being used for festival stuff most of the day. Accordingly, those desiring a look at the full space should stop by after 4pm. SOVA Wine & Espresso (they will be opening without a liquor license, but hope to obtain one soon) is locate at 1359 H Street in the space formerly occupied by R&B Coffee.

Sidamo Open Until 2pm Labor Day

Hey, Sidamo is open until 2pm monday, so if you are considering your Labor Day options, please consider our local coffee shop. Also, SOVA will be open soon (possibly within a month).

Sidamo Burglarized Again

Sidamo Coffee & Tea (417 H Street) was burglarized again (the first robbery occurred on August 8th) the night before last. The most recent burglary occurred around 10:30pm and unable to have someone come out to replace the glass at night the owner was forced to sleep inside his store to keep it safe. Here's an anonymous statement from a reader who was on the scene when the police arrived:
Walking down H Street about 45 minutes ago, I heard the ominous sound of a security alarm and the dreadful sight of a cop arriving at Sidamo. As he went to interview Kenfe and someone who I assumed to be an employee, I walked past and noticed that the entire front door window panel was smashed in, lying inside the cafe. I obviously minded my own business and did not try to ascertain any other details. But this is more terrible news for one of the few visible, honest businesses on the block.

Either word's gotten out among the thugs that Sidamo is an easy target, or someone is seriously trying to demoralize Kenfe and Mimi. They really need to invest in a security camera yesterday, and perhaps a booby trap.

I will be there tomorrow to show my support and hope our community will continue to come out in force to do the same. Take care, and stay safe out there.

Klavitter: Sundays at Sidamo

Special to Frozen Tropics today we have a guest post from Quest for Quiet blogger David Klavitter (both text and photo belong to David). Enjoy:


My wife, Kara, and I really enjoy our Sunday mornings/afternoons at Sidamo. Kenfe and his wife, Yalemzwed, really do a terrific--and consistent--job.

Sidamo Coffee owner Kenfe Bellay on Sunday afternoon prepares a one-pound bag of whole bean Sidamo-region coffee. Only hours earlier, he used his shiny red roaster at the front of the store to roast those very beans. Kenfe says he roasts about five to six batches of coffee beans per week. He requires his coffee to be fair trade, organic, and grown in the shade. One pound of the smoothest coffee you’ll ever sip at home costs $9. It’s just as tasty in the welcoming store at 417 H St. NE, where the menu includes breakfast and panini sandwiches, soups, and assorted pastries. Full tables a short line greeted customers seeking refuge from yesterday’s chilly afternoon winds.

Sidamo Reviewed in Post

Check out this Post review of Sidamo (417 H Street), our newest coffee house. Read my earlier review of Sidamo here. And here is Sidamo's website.

Have You Been to Sidamo?

If you haven't tried H Street's newest (and currently only, since the one at 1359 has temporarly shut down after changing ownership) coffee and tea shop yet, you should. Sidamo offers a variety of espresso drinks as well as their own organic, fair trade, shade grown (prized my many for its superior flavor) coffee. Not a coffee drinker? Sidamo offers more than twenty varieties of loose and bag teas. They even have a loose tea called tutti frutti that's sure to appeal to the younger set. Sidamo serves its teas in individual pots the rest above tea candles so your brew stays warm longer. Bottles ice tea, water, juices, and milk (both regular and chocolate) are available. To eat Sidamo offers pastries and muffins from Uptown Bakery, cakes from Clement's, and yogurt. Soon (hopefully next week) they will also have sandwiches and bagels. The owner was sampling different cream cheese brands when I stopped in Thursday morning. That kind attention to detail is apparent throughout Sidamo. Unlike at many coffee houses, everything (except prepackaged beverages and to-go items) are served with glassware. The floor, though not orignal to the building, is about 85 years old, and was rescued from another building. The owner, Kenfe Bellay, says he likes the idea of recycling materials whenever he can. The chestnut counter behind which Mr. Bellay stands is the reincarnation of old doors.

The chalkboard pictured above now displays the menu
Asked why he chose H Street the owner replies that he looked at threee different neighborhoods, H Street, Takoma Park, and Silver Spring. But somehow H Street, because of the changes he's seen in the neighborhood (he's been watching us for a while, he previously tried to lease space in a building in the 300 block of H Street), and because of its proximaty to Capitol Hill. He says he looks at H Street and sees a nice chance for his shop and the community to grow together. Bringing people together is one of Mr. Bellay's hopes for Sidamo. Every Saturday and Sunday at 2pm Sidamo hosts an Ethiopian coffee ceremony where groups of people come together and talk over coffee. He hopes to hold these events three times a week once he gets more settled.

Sidamo offers free wifi. There plenty of space to sit outside at the three tables located out back. There is even lighting out there to facilitate evening gatherings.
Starting sometime soon Sidamo will offer bags of their own freshly roasted coffee beans for sale at the counter.

Sidamo Coffee and Tea
417 H Street
7am-7pm 7 days a week


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As promised, here is a repost with the photos I couldn't access before.