A delicious feast seasoned with worship and the Word
By Nadine Wilson Harris
In the hustle and bustle of daily living, Charis Cafe provides an oasis where everyone is welcomed to eat, drink, repose, relax and pray.
While many persons were closing their businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, God instructed Peta Gay and Rajiv Rowe to open the cafe, which distinguishes itself as the first Christian cafe in Jamaica where patrons can go to worship and unwind in God’s presence as they dine.
The vision for the business was sparked as the couple embarked on a Daniel fast in 2021.
“It was a difficult fast, and you know the Daniel fast is unprocessed food and just vegetables and food, so it was very demanding for the first couple of days,” Peta Gay recalled.
The challenge of finding wholesome food and a space that seemed undefiled for the consumption of meals, was the catalyst for their business venture. One day they were idly perusing the classifieds in a local newspaper when they noticed that a space in Kings Plaza was being advertised for rent. When they finally got to view the space, it was obvious that they would have to roll up their sleeves and put in the work, but they were undaunted.
It took two months to get the venue looking like what they envisioned. During this time, they visited other restaurants, educated themselves about the process of starting a business, and sought God for the ideal name for the cafe. They felt at ease with the name Charis, which means ‘grace’.
“We had setbacks, but along the journey, people would come and tell us that they were praying for us and the Lord said they should help,” shared Peta Gay in explaining how God’s grace manifested.
“You have to remember that this is the middle of the pandemic; no one was opening any businesses; nobody was thinking anything about spending money, they were more like hoarding money,” she said.
Despite the challenges along the way, Rajiv declared that business has been good.
“There are days when things are fantastic, really great, and again, you just have to trust the process, because we are in a season where there is inflation on the land, so in terms of people’s spending power, it has been affected,” he said.
The first night they got the light connected at the cafe, a man gave his life to the Lord, while standing in the venue. The couple was further encouraged, and on September 1, 2021 they officially opened the cafe.
“We had to maintain the integrity of the Lord in this place, and by that I mean it was not going to be a case where we just play some gospel music, but this is a place where the Word of God is read and is proclaimed, loved, and it is introduced to people and people are encouraged to read it,” said Peta Gay, who worked for several years as a media practitioner and public relations executive before making the switch.
Rajiv, an engineer, used the expertise he garnered while working at one of Kingston’s luxurious hotels to perfect service delivery.
“He was just drawn to the things that they did that worked. One such thing was just knowing the people’s names. Even when they call we are like ‘Hey whats up! How mi nuh see you last week etc,” said Peta Gay, who explained that their youngest customer is four years old and they have several youths and senior citizens who meet regularly to worship and unwind.
Sashana and Donovan Dale, along with their son Nathaniel Dale know too well that ‘Family Time’ at Charis Cafe is a ‘thing’. A very peaceful and quaint space to bond. Charis Cafe is a cushy and classy place for food, fun and fellowship in Kings Plaza, Constant Spring Road, St Andrew.
The couple also incorporated a lot of the meals they prepared during the Daniel fast on their menu. This includes coconut milk and chick peas, with mango. The cafe’s staff uses all natural ingredients when putting meals together.
As Charis Cafe celebrates its second year in business, the couple is giving God thanks for His grace. They now advise other entrepreneurs who are hoping to start their own business.
“The advise I would give is to just step out in faith. There is a window of opportunity now being made available by the Lord for persons to hop in, so once you pray and you get the leading of the Holy Spirit, you just step out by faith and do your research,” Rajiv encouraged.
Charis Cafe also has a charity arm that gives to a student each month. Peta Gay advises business owners to give back, pay their tithes, and be good stewards of their money. She also encourages them to do their research and maintain the core principles of their brand at all times.