Community Rallies Around Kit Coffee After Trying Two Years

Kit Coffee, a locally owned coffee shop on Hunter Street, is reaching out to the community with a GoFundMe in hopes to keep the café open.

Kit Coffee is located at 144 Hunter Street. Photo by Luke Best.

Helen McCarthy started Kit Coffee in 2018 with a business partner. Initially, they operated out of the Peterborough Regional Farmers Market, and did pop-up shops at Hello Baby on Charlotte Street.

As the business grew the two were faced with the decision of opening a brick and mortar shop. After contemplating, it was decided that McCarthy would carry on with Kit Coffee alone, and she opened up shop on Hunter Street in July 2019.

“This had been something I wanted to do since I was 15,” said McCarthy. “This spot came available and it was already a coffee shop so it really was serendipitous that it was available then and I dove in.”

Since opening, Kit Coffee has faced many hurdles, while still providing downtown Peterborough with fresh coffee and handmade, baked goods.

In January 2020 McCarthy broke her ankle, which prohibited them from working in the shop, meaning she had to pay more employees.

Shortly after that the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Kit Coffee and the local business world took a great hit.

In July 2020 McCarthy broke both of her ankles, sidelining them from her own business yet again.

“It’s a combination of COVID and the fact that I was off work for the better part of two years. 2020 was a terrible year.”

@ptbo_canada hanging out at the lovely @KitCoffeePtbo today! Check out the gofundme in the comments to help the coffee shop with 🤌🏻 vibes out #localbusiness #CoffeeShop #LocalCafe #GoFundMe ♬ As It Was - Harry Styles

Facing lockdown after lockdown, then loosing product after the Derecho that caused power outages all over Peterborough, McCarthy says Kit Coffee is now struggling to stay afloat.

“With the price of things right now everyone is feeling scrunched and I totally get that.” she said. “That being said I have such amazing regulars.”

She launched a GoFundMe on Monday in hopes to gather support from the community.

“It’s so hard to ask for help and to ask for money to support your dream,” she said. “I don’t feel entitled for people to donate, I don’t expect people to donate but people have told me they would like the opportunity to help.”

Since its launch, the GoFundMe has raised over $3,000. McCarthy says the money will go to paying off debt that accumulated over the last two years, and to completing some much needed repairs.

“It hasn’t even just been money. People have offered their time, people have made a point to come in and buy a coffee, they’ve offered kind words, it’s been great.”

To donate to the GoFundMe click here.

Kit Coffee is a safe space for the queer and BIPOC communities of Peterborough. They host music during Peterborough’s ‘First Friday Art Crawl’. McCarthy says in the future they hope to be able to host more events to showcase local talent.

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