This story is part of a series in Second Wave SW Michigan that uplifts equitable small businesses and its ecosystem in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Grand Rapids.
On an afternoon in downtown Battle Creek in a large coffee shop/restaurant, the aromas of coffee and tasty food cooking waft among customers conversing at tables or in soft chairs or working on computers.
At the same time in Grand Rapids, shoppers in a small, quieter store are comforted with pleasant scents while they browse among 67 medicinal herbs, many aromatherapy products, and numerous other products.
The Battle Creek coffee shop is owned by a family with connections to Costa Rica, and the Grand Rapids store is owned by a Mexican-American woman. Walk into either one and you’ll recognize that the décor derives from Hispanic cultures. The Battle Creek business is Café Rica, 62 E. Michigan Ave., and the one in Grand Rapids is Natural Maya, 4310 S. Division Ave. S.
