Red Raven Celebrates Four Years

Unlike some businesses, such as the shoe store you go to only when you need shoes or an eye doctor when you need glasses, coffee shops are more than a location for purchasing a product. Often, the shop itself and the people themselves — from the employees to the other customers to the artists who perform/display/read there — provide the draw, intermixing with and complementing the coffee better than cream and sugar.

After all, most of us can’t make our own shoes or glasses at home, but just about anybody can make coffee (though perhaps not as well when it comes to the stuff that’s more complicated than the straight drip). Customers choose their coffee shop based several factors, including the quality of the brew, the atmosphere they want to be in and the image they want to project: Starbucks says, “I’m generic, boring and found on every corner,” but a place like the Red Raven says, “I’m unique, exciting and very underground, literally.”

Providing a hangout for coffee connoisseurs, music heads, art lovers and most recently, book enthusiasts, the Red Raven is always expanding their reach into the Fargo downtown scene. This Friday and Saturday, they will celebrate four years of being open with back to back all-day events, running from 11 a.m. to midnight. 

Four years ago, owner Dominic Fischer started the Red Raven with co-owners Tim Griffin and Justin Lervick, who shared a passion for coffee and thought Fargo was missing a shop that oozed that coffee culture. As talks became more serious, the Red Raven was born. The Red Raven wanted to ensure that only the best espresso was served and served correctly, which isn’t easily found in most coffee shops. The Red Raven uses only the finest espresso from Raven’s Brew coffee in Alaska which is renowned in coffee aficionado circles. However, Fischer also wanted to keep things local and decided to get their daily brew from Greg Stumbo, who roasts great coffee out of Fergus Falls.

Today, Fischer is the sole owner after his co-owners parted ways for school and family, and he prides his shop for the camaraderie it brings. It is an open place with no discrimination and where everyone feels welcome. Music is also a large part of the Red Raven. Over the past three years, the Red Raven provided a venue for over 300 different genres of music, poetry, dance, comedy and many other variety acts.

Most recently the shop added a used book section for people to peruse over 4,000 titles, which is something Fargo definitely needed. With something for everyone, it would seem hard to find any problems. Yet, one of the biggest problems the Red Raven faces today is getting people to realize it actually exists, and getting people to become more aware of the hidden gem that they might be missing.

Still, after owning the place solo for the past year, Fischer hopes people will come out to the four year anniversary.

“We will be having an art sale and have live music,” he said. .

The Red Raven has been a great place for all types of people to enjoy over the years. In helping to solve the problem of scarcity of things to do in Fargo, the Red Raven hopes to add only another reason to stay in Fargo and enjoy some of the wondrous things it has to offer.

For more information visit http://www.redravenep.com.