At Gather, New Haven’s new coffee shop in the East Rock section, it’s ‘all about community’ – New Haven Register

NEW HAVEN Its not every coffee shop in America that has a resident rescue mutt from Puerto Rico named Captain Peanut, customers art on the walls, activities almost every night of the week almost all of them programmed by patrons and a tiny stage thats pretty much there for the taking if you want to perform.

But Gather, the still-pretty-new coffee shop that opened late last year at 952 State St. in the East Rock section, isnt trying to be every coffee shop in America.

It may even be the antidote to all those other coffee shops right down to its semi-regular drag shows, Dungeon & Dragons nights, comfy chairs, crafts nights and the Iranian art films it sometimes shows on Cinema Night aka Wednesday.

Its all about community.

When talking about Gather, its hard to separate it from its heart and soul, owner Sultan Thahir even if some of Thahirs most loyal patrons say that Peanut, often found sleeping on her little rug just to the left of the door, is the star of the show.

When talking to Thahir, however, its often also hard to separate Gather from its patrons, a vast number of whom seem to come and go all afternoon and live either upstairs or, like Thahir, across the street.

I wanted to have the shortest commute possible, Thahir said in dry tones. It may or may not have been a joke.

How did Thahir, a Miami-, Massachusetts- and Rhode Island-raised former professor of film at a college in New Hampshire, end up in New Haven working from early morning until late night at a community-centered coffee shop right across the street from his apartment?

Love, he explained.

But while that (love) didnt work out, things seem to be working out just fine at Gather, the hip, eclectic, queer-friendly joint where there was a biweekly Drag From The Dumpster show the night Thahir was speaking.

Everythings free, Thahir said. If a band wants to make money, its up to them how to do that, whether that be a tip jar, a Venmo or Paypal pitch or selling tickets via EventBrite or some other means.

Im just providing the venue and the space, Thahir said. However anyone wants to use it is up to them.

Thahirs goal when he left his last job was to open a nonprofit arts venue; Gather sort of accomplishes a similar goal in a more fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants way.

Want to play chess or Jenga or Trivial Pursuit or Scrabble or any other game you can think of? Chances are theyre on a shelf somewhere in the place.

Want to hang out and drink tea? Gather has about 35 varieties stored in glass jars on a rack, not including chai, dirty chai, hunny lemon ginger and ceremonial grade matcha.

Coffee? You name it, with oat milk, almond milk, whole or skim.

Hungry? You can get hummus, a grilled cheese and a variety of other flatbread sandwiches.

Thahir recently announced that Gather is going entirely vegetarian and vegan but he appears to draw the line at grilled cheese, which remains on the menu using the real stuff.

He currently has an application pending for a liquor license, which might help support Gathers other activities. The citys Board of Zoning Appeals recently gave its blessing to the plan, Thahir said.

One thing about Gather is that while it may sometimes get quiet, youre never really alone.

Sitting quietly on a comfy chair as Thahir spoke was Ryland Galasso of North Haven, the customer, friend and entrepreneur who organizes the drag shows including one that night. He does it once a month. The day sometimes changes. Last time, performers including one from New York and three from Massachusetts, he said.

I enjoy it and people come out and they enjoy it, Galasso said. They tip the performers really well. Im just so glad that Sultan gives the people the stage.

At some point, Melanie Devorak organizer of both Dungeons & Dragons nights and crafts nights wanders in, sits down and starts working on her laptop.

She just moved upstairs, although shes been coming to Gather for a while now. In fact, she met her new roommates there playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Gather is a real good way to meet the community, she said.

On this particular day, I came for the Wi-Fi, said Devorak, chief technology officer of a small tech startup in Trumbull. She actually met Thahir on Reddit before Gather ever opened, she said.

He was looking for someone to run D & D nights, she said.

The thing she likes about Gather is that literally whatever people want to do, they can do.

A little later, Eddie Daniels, who runs trivia games at Gather, wanders in. He also lives across the street. Daniels began running trivia games on Zoom during the height of the pandemic, but moved them to Gather a few months ago.

I feel like the more you hang out here the more likely you are to do something in the way of programming, Daniels said.

Awhile back, one customer even organized a Sea Chanties Night. So far, that was a one-off activity.

Jamie Maldonado, who also lives upstairs and is one of Devoraks roommates was a regular at Gather for four months. Now, Maldonado, who prefers they/them pronouns, works there theyre Thahirs only employee, coming in at 7 a.m. some mornings so Thahir doesnt have to.

I really love to get to meet people from the community, Maldonado said. Theres people moving into East Rock all the time and were one of their first stops. Its really cool being the welcome ... for so many kinds of people.

As is the case with many things at Gather, Maldonados employment began as a joke. I wasnt really happy with my other job at a liquor store and I said, If youre going to hire someone, you should hire me.

So Thahir did.

When people ask Maldonado about Gather, I say its a coffee shop by day and a community space all the time, they said.

Ive got friends I never would have met had I not been hanging out in this coffee shop, Maldonado said.

Sammi Bechard, who was hanging out drinking a strawberry-banana smoothie, agreed.

I like it because it builds community, Bechard said. This place is super-cool. Its like my favorite place. ... Its really like a nice, chill environment.

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At Gather, New Haven's new coffee shop in the East Rock section, it's 'all about community' - New Haven Register