Gaia Cafe is Calling It a Comeback

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Gaia Cafe cookies

A displaced vegetarian cafe is finding new roots.

Andrea Bumstead, who owned the former Gaia Cafe, has partnered with Charity Lytle and Elizabeth Grathwol to purchase a building in Grand Rapids’ Creston Heights neighborhood, at 1553 Plainfield Ave. NE.

Bumstead would have the front portion for Gaia Cafe, and Lytle and Grathwol intend to make the rear portion of the building the new home of the Division Avenue Arts Collective, or DAAC.

Gaia intends to open in the late summer or early fall.

Gaia closed just over four years ago, after being open for 33 years in Grand Rapids’ East Hills neighborhood, at 209 Diamond Ave. SE.

Bumstead launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2017 and received 364 backers who collectively pledged $32,187 toward a $30,000 goal.

Now with a physical location in sight, the goal is closer to reality. The 1,689-square-foot storefront would have a seating capacity of 50 and offer a wide range of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as coffee.

In addition to partnering on the purchase of the building, Lytle said DAAC intends to partner with Gaia once the two are fully operational. While Gaia would close at 3 p.m. daily, the restaurant would remain open later for DAAC events.



Photo via fb.com

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