The First Cappuccino Bar on Seminary Grounds The Ends Justify The Beans


By: Jason Songe, Seminarian, Archdiocese of New Orleans

 

If there is coffee in Latin America and it needs to get to the States, New Orleans has historically been one of the main ways. “By the mid 1850s, 62 million pounds of Brazilian coffee had passed through the Port of New Orleans,” according to an article on Nola.com.

And according to an article on Thrillist.com, “in 2015 alone, 250,000 tons of coffee came through the Port of New Orleans, enough to make 20 billion cups of coffee.” Some even say that the “coffee break” was invented in New Orleans. The Thrillist article says that in the New Orleans of the 1920s, “business owners would skip out of work throughout the day for a cup.”

So, it makes sense that a New Orleans son, Kevin Seay, would be creating a Cappucino bar. And taking into account the immigrant, Catholic history(Cajun, Sicilian, Irish, German, etc.) of the city, a Catholic seminary is a perfect place for it.

Today from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Family Room, Drago’s Capuccino Bar will have its grand opening. St. Drago is the patron saint of coffee. Free tea and Mystic Monk Hot Drip will be offered at the opening, along with live music.

Seay is the social life representative of the NDS E-Board, and he created the bar as a sort-of “daytime Bib where you refuel and get to run into and have conversations with people you don’t always talk to,” Seay said recently. Seay attended the University of Dallas, which had a permanent cappuccino bar that was a large part of the culture. “Professors had office hours at the bar,” he added. NDS professors, take note.

Seay will be grinding his own beans, a promise he made to Dr. Andrew Geist, a former NDS professor, when the bar was still in its planning stages. Geist is a big coffee guy.

Seay has commissioned artwork for the bar and also asked eight seminarians and professors—notably Dr. Neal—to curate music playlists for the bar. Each seminarian will have their own tab, like the Bib, and they are encouraged to bring their own cup.

Menu items include tea, hot drip, cappuccino, coldbrew, and Chai Tea Latte. Coffee is $1, and cappuccino is $1.50.


About the Author: Jason Songe, Seminarian, Archdiocese of New Orleans


Jason is a seminarian in First Theology.


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