What would you get when you combine lattes and mental health awareness? Sip of Hope Coffee shop in Logan Square.
Founded in 2018, Sip of Hope is not your typical coffee shop. Owned by the nonprofit organization Hope for the Day, it is the world’s first coffee bar that donates 100% of its proceeds to suicide prevention and mental health education.
“The idea behind Sip of Hope goes back to 2016,” said General Manager Brian Kmiecik. “When Hope for the Day asked businesses to put mental health resources on their products.”
Hope for the Day had been distributing mental health resources through collaborations around the Chicagoland area. Then a partnership with Dark Matter Coffee sparked an idea: open a coffee shop that can be a safe space for connection, education and hope.
“We started thinking, what’s the next level?” said Kmiecik. “If we’ve had success with mental health resources on coffee packaging, could we create a physical space that builds on that success?”
In addition to creating a safe space for individuals in the community to come together, all staff members at Sip of Hope undergo mental health education courses that equip the baristas with the tools to recognize warning signs and engage in supportive and meaningful conversations.
“We feel that we have trained all of our staff where they can engage folks in all different avenues,” said Kmiecik. “While serving a really good coffee and fresh pastries.”
Ian Howell, a barista who has worked at Sip of Hope for over a year, says his job feels more meaningful than just working at a coffee shop.
“"It’s cool to work somewhere aligned with a nonprofit,” said Howell. “There’s no weird pressure to upsell stuff, t’s about the overarching mission of directing people to mental health resources and keeping things accessible."
The shop’s mission has had a major impact on the community. Customers come in regularly, opening up about their mental health experiences and leaning on the staff at Sip for support.
Hannah Nordin, a supervisor at Sip says there have been multiple times where someone has come in and shared their story, whether it been losing a loved one to suicide or dealing with their own mental health struggles.
“It’s this beautiful, transparent common ground,” said Nordin. “Every time it happens, I feel grateful to be here.”
The café has become a hub for connections, encouraging visitors to come from as far as Hawaii to learn more about Sip of Hope’s mission and bond with fellow customers.
“I’ve seen total strangers’ bond over lived experiences in a ‘cheers-y’ way,” said Kmiecik. “We’ve had people share their stories and then return because they felt the café provided light in a dark time.”
To continue spreading awareness and expanding its reach, Sip of Hope recently opened a second location in Hyde Park, inside the University of Chicago Medical Center. According to the Sip staff, this is hopefully just the beginning of the company’s expansion.
"I hope we can expand to more locations, maybe even outside of Chicago,” said Howell. “It would be cool to see us strategically open new shops in places that need it.”
Hope for the Day uses the proceeds from the coffee shop to fund mental health education programs in businesses and schools around the Chicagoland area. By combining their engagement in the community with their great coffee, Sip of Hope reminds individuals in the Chicagoland area that it is okay not to be okay.
“Stigma is the biggest barrier,” said Kmiecik, “Our goal is to break the stigma and continue to be a space where mental health conversations are normal.”
