If you’ve stumbled into The Lost Aviator Coffee Company for your caffeine fix lately, you’ve likely noticed some special brews sitting on their shelves.
Since opening, The Lost Aviator owners Steve Zago and Adam Wright have been intent on giving back to the community when they can, by doing what they do best, besides piloting planes: coffee.
They recently expanded their lineup to include a Haitian dark roast, which directly supports a small farming community in the Thiotte region of southeast Haiti.
"Haiti, at one point, was the world's third largest producer of coffee," Zago said. "But due to many political, economic and natural disasters over the last 20 years, that has declined massively."
Three dollars from every sale also goes to the Guelph Black Heritage Society. This way, they can "support two communities at once, with amazing coffee."
This past fall, the coffee shop also launched The Lantern Brew in partnership with The Daily Grind 519 to raise funds for The Guelph Black Heritage Society's (GBHS) ongoing Capital Funding campaign.
Since then, they’ve raised $7,500 to help pay off the mortgage for Heritage Hall, the stone church built in 1880 by formerly enslaved Black individuals. Paying it off will help them to fully focus on funding social initiatives, cultural education programs and supporting BIPOC members of the community.
For Zago and Wright, partnering with the GBHS was a no brainer: "We want to take care of the community that takes care of us."
“This will help them pay off that debt and be able to support their community better, and thereby our community,” said Steve Zago, co-owner of The Lost Aviator. “I also love history. So having a little bit of local Guelph heritage, and helping people within our community to kind of preserve that heritage, was right up our alley.”
After a series of coffee tastings, they landed on a unique medium roast blend made from three different ethically-sourced beans. Eighty per cent of the profits from the brew go directly to GBHS.
According to GBHS president Denise Francis, the lantern symbolizes freedom and hope.
“Lanterns were used on the Underground Railroad to help guide and signal Black individuals who were escaping enslavement in the United States as they travelled north," she said.
It’s a symbol that you’ve likely seen on their logos before. They also have a long-standing collaboration with the Royal City Brewing Company for their Lantern Ale, which is released every February for Black Heritage Month.
For those who don’t drink beer or coffee, the GBHS just released the caffeine-free Dream Makers Tea with Cup of Té as part of their fundraising campaign.
Zago and Wright plan on selling The Lantern Brew as long as GBHS will let them. The Haitian Brew, though, is temporary for the time being – depending on how well it sells.
You can learn more about the fundraising campaign here.
