Wisconsin Life

[upbeat music] - Angela Fitzgerald: In the heart of Verona, a family-owned caf is brewing every cup with a story.

– Ralph Stern: Alice Good is a specialty coffee shop based in Verona, Wisconsin.

It's a family business.

The name Alice Good comes from a made-up name.

– Angela: Alice Good is an invented name Ralph's father would use to call to check in on his grandmother without paying long-distance charges.

- It comes from the Yiddish or German phrase "Alle ist gut," which means "all is good."

So at least in that way, my grandma could hear my dad every day and telling her that all was well.

– Angela: That simple message, "All is good," became the heart of their caf's mission.

Years later, that same spirit of connection inspired a new purpose.

– Laura Serrato: In 2019, with the protests that happened in Colombia, we were all very frustrated.

We didn't know what we could do.

We were connecting with artists that were also being activists.

Someone once said that Alice Good is a love letter to Colombia.

– Angela: That love is built into every detail, from the glasses to the coffee beans, ensuring fair wages at every step of the journey.

– Ralph: Coffee itself has a little bit of a checkered history connected with slavery.

And really, only about 7% to 8% of what we spend on coffee in the U.S.

actually goes back to anyone in the producing country.

We try to choose, as intentionally as possible, a way that we can both support the Colombian economy and support small businesses and start-ups.

– Sara Serrato: [speaking Spanish] - Angela: Their dedication to representation and community also extends locally with the art that decorates the caf.

– Patron: Being able to speak Spanish and be like, "Hola, cmo ests?"

And just being able to meet someone in my mother tongue and having an opportunity to create.

I was like, "This is magic!"

– Angela: They've extended their gallery to the littlest artists.

- [speaking Spanish] - Angela: That same philosophy pours into every interaction.

- Coming here is like, "Oh, it tastes like Mom's coffee."

- It was a hug from Colombia, coming to here.

- It's also a great place when, you know, someone needs help.

- Especially at a time where people feel so isolated and alone, I think Alice Good really does bring that community and that love back into spaces.

– Angela: These connections transformed a caf into something much more.

– Ralph: No moment is that small.

We all go through things that are difficult and have moments that aren't as good as others.

But what we really want to try to do here is to see how we can contribute to breaking cycles of negative energy and contribute toward building cycles of positive energy.

- With all this grief that we had with our own country, we're just like, "We need more kindness.

"We need to believe that "a kinder world is actually possible, and we're gonna put all our energy into it."

- [speaking Spanish] [upbeat music] - Angela: Every cup brewed carries the same message: A kinder world is possible.

Like Ralph's grandmother would say... - All is good.

- All is good.

- All is good.

– In unison: All is good!

– Angela: Or should we say... - In unison: Alice Good.

- Alice Good.

– In unison: Alice Good!

– In unison: Alice Good!

[birds chirping]