Running a business is hard: only a handful of people have skills up to the task. Recently, a coffee shop in Phoenix faced unfair harassment due to a Palestinian sticker on a cup.
Skoden Coffee & Tea is an indigenous, queer coffee shop. “[Skoden] source much of their coffee products and sell art pieces from other indigenous businesses and artists,” according to azcentral.com. Skoden Coffee & Tea started as a stand-up shop in the Navajo Nation and later moved to Phoenix for “a better reach,” according to Natasha John, co-owner of Skoden.
Skoden helps fundraise for many indigenous families by sharing links on Instagram to donation sites. Skoden also supports other indigenous companies, stocking plenty of business cards referring patrons to other indigenous organizations. The customer service is top notch and regarded highly. “The baristas were super sweet, and delivered our drinks to our table,” said Avery Santy in a Google review.
The shop holds an “Auntie’s Kitchen” on Sunday when the shop promotes local, indigenous women. At the event, they encourage people to showcase their food, themselves, or their businesses. Skoden performs numerous acts to benefit the Phoenix indigenous community, providing a place where people can feel “at home,” according to Ajang Ajang, sophomore, who also said, “The furniture, the music, everything was so perfect.” When asked why Skoden started “Auntie’s Kitchen,” a Skoden staff member said, “I used to watch a show on food network where Italian grandmas would come in and show their cooking. It made me inspired to make something like that for indigenous people. That’s how Auntie’s Kitchen was born.”
Skoden Coffee & Tea faced harassment from people in their shop’s neighborhood. Their Yelp page was flooded with negative, false comments. Skoden posted a complaint on Instagram from a customer who said he was “discriminated against for being Jewish and white.” Skoden confirmed this wasn’t the case, but the misunderstanding occurred because of Skoden’s stand with Palestine. Ms. John said, “We’re in solidarity with our Palestinian relatives, considering that we have very similar histories, and we just stand for human rights and basic human needs.”
Eventually an anonymous complaint was filed with Maricopa County’s Environmental Services Department, which oversees restaurant health inspections. Skoden was eventually forced out of their former spot due to all of this drama. They said For The People, their former landlords, didn’t like how vocal Skoden was. The business ended up in Central Records but is currently looking for their own lease, according to Ms. John. Skoden has gone through numerous hardships in recent times for standing with Palestine and its people. However, Skoden Coffee & Tea still stands strong against discrimination.
