Cool Calgary: The storage closet coffee shop

The easiest way tofind Calgary's smallest coffee shop is to walk through the doors of theOld Y Building, veer right andlook down.

The wayfindingto Kaffeklatschis on thelinoleum floor alineofblack and whitecircular stickers with the letter"K" on them.

"I feel like it's more like cookie crumbs, leading you to the place," said the tinyowner inside her tiny storage closet.

"I kind of like that aspect of finding the closet," said JessicaMcCarrel. "BecauseI want that element of surprise."

It is a wonder how McCarrel managed to build acoffee shop ina 25-square-foot space, but she has it all: an espresso machine, a sink, plumbing, afridge stocked with organic milk and shelveslined with dishes and bags of coffee beans.

"We think it might havebeen like a dumbwaiter," she said, which is asmall freight elevator that carries objects instead of people.

The old Y.W.C.A sandstone structure wasbuilt in 1911 to meet thehousing needs of single women, new to Calgary at the time. Today, it's the home of CommunityWise, a venue that provides offices, meeting rooms and activity spaces for over 60 not-for-profit organizations.

McCarrel has worked for years in the building, most recently, at the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers.

"I knew my time there was limited and I didn't know what to do next," she said."There were a lot of board discussions that talked about wanting to animate this space."

McCarrelthought coffee would be the perfect way to draw people into the Old Yand give moreexposure tothe grassroots initiatives happening within the walls of the building.

'Kaffeeklatsch' means coffee gossip in German. McCarrel says the term is used todescribe a group of little old ladies who get together andtalk about the news of the day over chocolate cake and coffee.

The light installation that hangs above the entrance to the storage closetwas created by Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, who also created CLOUD the interactive light bulb sculpture featured in 2012 at Nuit Blanche Calgary.

Kaffeeklatsch is located inside the Old Y Building at223 12thAve. S.W.inCalgary's Beltline district. It'sopen Monday throughSaturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This summer, theCalgary Eyeopener is featuring peoplecontributing to the "cool factor" of our city. If you know someonewhois making Calgary cool, send anemailto eyeopener@cbc.ca