Songbird Coffee and Tea House is a local coffee shop located in a historic house built in 1904 on Third Street in downtown Phoenix.
“Songbird is an extension of your living room,” Erin Westgate said. Started by Westgate in 2012, Songbird’s mission statement. “There is something for everyone here.”
She added that she makes it a point to showcase local artists’ work, such as writers, poets, musicians, dancers and spoken word at open mics.
Sarah Schmidt, a barista at Songbird, said that she has been going to Songbird since its opening back in 2012 and having access to a space as inclusive as Songbird is what downtown Phoenix needs, especially during the hardships that the pandemic has brought.
“Erin has created a space that embodies her morals and what she finds important,” Schmidt said. “She’s also done a really good job at choosing people who also do that and will help facilitate the space that way.”
Schmidt added that she thinks Westgate’s approach and the overall mission of Songbird is the reason why they were able to withstand the hardships that the pandemic brought them, such as less open hours.
“What we do here is reaching a lot of the city,” she said. “I get people who come out from Tempe to get their coffee … so I hope we continue to create opportunities for people to reach out.”
Although grabbing a coffee in the morning may serve as a simple part of one’s daily routine, it holds much more value to the regulars at Songbird Coffee and Tea House.
Mattie Larkin, junior at Arizona State University, said that Songbird changed the way she viewed not only what used to be an insignificant part of her day, but the community around her as well.
“I grew up here in Arizona and never really thought twice about getting my Starbucks each morning other than the fact that my day would be ruined without it,” Larkin said. “But since finding Songbird, I wake up earlier so that I can spend enough time there, immersing myself within the community and positive vibe that the atmosphere brings all of us regulars.”
She added that she believes showcasing local artists is important and a crucial part to building a stronger community because it networks people and familiarizes everyone with each other.
“I write poetry for fun,” she said. “The fact that I know there are open mics here, a place where I can share a piece of me with my peers and fellow community members, motivates me to keep going and drives my passions even more.”
Schmidt said when she applied to be a barista in 2013, she could not have imagined the impact she would have on people. She said that her job has become much more than making and serving coffee, it is a new lifestyle of forming positive relationships with people who may not have been brought together otherwise.
“That’s the heart of Songbird,” Schmidt said. “Giving what’s needed and having a space for community.”
Contact the reporter nblumel@asu.edu.
