Bob Luke believes that everyone is inherently good. He also loves a cup of coffee and conversation with friends and strangers. He believes those exchanges are the best ways to learn something new or gain a new perspective.
So he decided to put his money where his mouth is and combine his passions, creating something tangible.
Café Détente is Luke's vision to help others have the opportunity for meaningful interactions with people whose paths may not otherwise cross while learning something new — and maybe gaining a new perspective or even a friend.
The coffee shop will soon come to life near Luke's home in Youngsville as a space to highlight diversity and community through workshops and organic conversation.
Important note: Café Détente is not just another coffee house.
The establishment has no waitstaff, menus or regular operating hours. It's not about people sitting around alone on their laptops or in small clusters of people they know well.
In fact, Café Détente is not even exactly open to the public. Instead, it will serve as an event space for those who are interested in or curious about Luke's vision or some of the workshops the site will host. Luke knows enough about people to realize that the best way to get them invested and engaged in each other is to give them something to do.
The concept requires interested parties apply for the coffee shop's free membership. Members will be able to attend various classes — from ravioli making to emotional intelligence — to learn and have conversations with new people. Luke hopes those who attend will come with an open mind and be "free thinkers."
“It’s all about enriching,” Luke said of his brainchild. “What do we need to do to enrich each other's lives? Take the boxing gloves off, and get down to what really matters, in my opinion.”
In the big picture, Luke said he just kept thinking about what wasn’t working in society and how so many people view much of the world primarily through the lens of differing political perspectives — an outlook that hijacks the ability to find common ground.
"The answer is really communication,” Luke said.
Café Détente's origins came when Luke realized he wanted to create a spot for him and his friends to gather and drink coffee. Plus, he got a new Bobcat and started moving earth around, knowing he was building something — just not exactly sure what. The more he moved dirt around and cleared the space, the more he felt compelled to engineer a space that addressed something bigger.
Now, Luke's vision has passed the health department inspection and is on its way toward a soft opening in April. The one question most people ask Luke is, "Will this thing make money?" The answer is complicated and uncertain. He recognizes that idea could take off and, best case scenario, he will have to reign it in. He realizes there is work to be done to make that happen. At present, he's focused on the mission of bringing people together and building community. However, on the practical side of the operation, the well-appointed site will be available for rent for private events like weddings and receptions to help with expenses.
On Café Détente's website, those interested will note that Luke has invented lingo for his vision that has the potential to get confusing for the uninitiated. Simply put, people fill out profile questionnaires to become involved in Café Détente. The profiles survey people's interests in order to invite them to events that would most likely engage them and simultaneously create robust conversation with a mix of personalities.
On the website's "Coffee Menu" landing page, members can browse different groups to join to find people with similar interests. As members join groups, badges will be given to signify that the group will be added to a member’s profile.
As far fetched as this elaborate concept seems, Luke is one of the rare people who has the potential to gather the resources to pull it all off. It's almost like he's creating the reverse of a social network. People fill out their profiles, join groups, and he curates events in real life.
As interests trend, Luke and his team find a teacher (or brewer, in Luke's lingo) to host an event around that topic. The guest brewer and their team have the option to set the size of the group for the event, invite specific interested members and facilitate the event. Event logistics and supplies will determine the cost per person.
Luke talks in big ideas, but sitting in the coffee shop he's built, even cynics start to see the possibilities.
“With all this noise going on, I just wanted to do my part to create this culture where people want to come and talk and share old traditions and skills,” Luke said.
Other possible event topics include Italian wine, the connection between medieval history and today, Socrates, syrup making, tamale making, storytelling and music.
Lincoln Duhon will be hosting pasta night with her Italian-American wife, Ainsley Messina. The two started making pasta from scratch on a regular basis in their house, so they’ll be teaching guests how to make the dish and a few homemade sauces. The class will culminate with a full meal together.
Duhon said that the classes will allow people to leave with a new skill, but also with a sense of community and maybe even a new friend.
“The coffee house is going to be a landing space for people from all over Louisiana to hopefully come and visit and attend a class, grab a cup of coffee, but leave learning something they didn’t know before — about someone who could be right next door to you or a talent that is very close to you and easily accessible,” Duhon said.
Luke aims to host a podcast, the “True Brew Bobcast,” where brewers will come in to chat.
Another of Luke’s goal for the coffee shop is to highlight the different “cultural clusters" in Acadiana and give them a voice to share their traditions.
Ray Flores describes the Café as a “communication channel” for the community.
“Opening eyes, opening communication and cultural blending, I think, is what (Luke) wants to achieve more than anything else,” Flores said.
Flores owns Pink Trailer Productions, an up-and-coming nonprofit that will serve as a platform for musicians who want to launch their careers. He and Luke want to host a soul food day at Café Détente with different Southern cuisine and musicians.
Flores emphasized that everyone has a story to tell, but if we never share the stories, then no one will learn from them.
Duhon shared the same sentiments, saying that we should put our beliefs and opinions aside and learn from each other, rather than continuing the discord.
“I think everyone’s opinions are at the forefront of their mouths, and if we could just swallow them and get back to learning and growing together, I think the world would be a happier place,” she said.
Luke’s tagline for the Café, “Be curious,” sums up so much of his personality, zest for life and perspective on the world. He is tired of the division among people and wants to create a space for others to come and let their guards down, finding common ground — and perhaps learning something new, sharing a meal, having a little fun or making new friends in the process.