I recently had a giveback event at MOTW Coffee right here in Indy. I had never heard of it before and thought it was just another small business interested in partnering with my sorority. When we got there, I noticed a lot of international food markets and restaurants and remember thinking, “What a odd location for another random coffee shop.” Once I stepped inside, I knew it wasn’t just any coffee shop.
The first thing I saw on the wall was a Palestinian flag. I looked around at other artwork and their were two paintings: one of Muhammad Ali and another of Malcolm X. Next to the door were photos with plaques underneath that I read. each one described a donation or trip employees took to help crises in the Middle East; places like Yemen and Syria.
After a quick Google search, I saw that MOTW stands for “Muslims of the World.”
Already the business spent a lot of their proceeds to helping other causes, but they also were willing to do a giveback to support domestic violence awareness. I was in awe of this small, social justice business and was excited to learn more. I know we aren’t on the Islamic unit yet, but I look forward to exploring more about the Islamic faith as it had been an area of interest during my studies as an International Studies major.
The drinks were also very good. Prices comparable to Starbucks, but their Yemeni Chai was amazing. They also had a more extensive list of refresher flavors and I heard those were really good too.