FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – A new coffee shop is now open in downtown Fort Wayne. The Tall Rabbit Cafe + Community is Blue Jacket, Inc.’s fourth social enterprise designed to transitionally hire its clientele desiring a chance to prove their worth and this time, in a very public way to the Fort Wayne community. Soft-launched December 12, 2022, this coffee shop experience provides unique meeting and gathering spaces for patrons, located just south of downtown on Calhoun St.
Blue Jacket chose this week to make an official announcement because of two more firsts; a barista competition that will be hosted on Thursday, January 5th at 7 pm at the Tall Rabbit and hosted by FWTNT, then an open microphone on Saturday, January 7th at 11:00 am until close. These events will kick off the Tall Rabbit Café’s official opening today on Tuesday, January 3rd.
Blue Jacket released the following:
The name Tall Rabbit is in recognition of the nonprofit’s namesake, Chief Blue Jacket. The Shawnee War Chief was recognized last summer with a sculpture on the Blue Jacket’s campus just seven blocks south of the coffee shop with the Chief’s descendants in attendance, also revealing the name of the coffee shop. Native American artwork from a private collection lent by the Garrett Museum of Art hangs on the walls, along with artwork from the Second Chances Art exhibit, an event run by Blue Jacket.
The coffee shop décor is a vintage and rustic, some patrons calling it a ‘warm and inviting living room experience.’ Almost all the furniture was donated by friends and family of the organization and repurposed. Much of the Blue Jacket mission decoupaged onto 4-top tables. Larger companies like Frontier Communications, Indiana Tech, One Eleven Designs, and Michael Kinder & Sons provided furniture as well. Blue Jacket is working with patrons on allowing reserving the six pseudo-private alcoves on a first-come basis but charging for the 16-person conference room unless a partner organization calls, especially Blue Jacket partner employers, and discounted rates will be provided.
“There is no way we would have launched a venture in this space without the gifted advisors God brought to us like Jeremiah Otis, Brendon Maxwell, and Jonathon Sepulveda coaching us on retailing a high-quality coffee experience and artisan coffee recipes. We hope it complements the landscape of high-quality local independent coffee shops.” said Tony Hudson, Blue Jacket’s executive director and founder.
The coffee shop leases space from an investor group that also leases to the Utopian Roastery located in the larger warehousing space off Calhoun & Williams Streets. The Tall Rabbit Café is located in the former showroom of Pella Windows and then Discount Comic Book Service store. Tall Rabbit leadership is excited about partnering with the Utopian Roastery.
Baristas are trained in the espresso-based artisan drinks. A focused coffee menu with pastries and coffee alternatives are provided by local small business owners like GK Products and Bakerson Pie Company, Tea from Teajutsu, and Honey from Hudson Garden Market. Gift cards are also available. Only Utopian Coffee is brewed and sold at the Tall Rabbit. Utopian Coffee balances quality and social impact to deliver incredible coffee that tangibly improves the lives of the people producing, serving, and enjoying it.
About Blue Jacket Inc.: Blue Jacket’s mission is to provide training and opportunities to anyone with a barrier who is striving to earn gainful employment and believes that no adult should have a barrier to employment. The Blue Jacket Clothing Co, Blue Jacket Staffing, Cleaning Services, and even Fantasy of Lights are social enterprises designed to transitionally hire clients needing a chance to earn a wage, experience, and on-the-job support from the Blue Jacket team.
