Mamdouh Khayat and Mouyyad Abdulhadi, the owners of Pax & Beneficia coffee shop in Irving, believe our differences are hurting us, not helping us. When it comes to politics, religion, race or gender equality, Khayat says “we are quick to demonize and dehumanize the other side.” They want to offer a small solution.
Anyone who brings a person with an opposing viewpoint to their Irving coffee shop will get buy one, get one free coffee.
“The idea came out that we should create this mechanism where people can invite someone with an opposing viewpoint and feel comfortable to sit in our cafe and have those really difficult conversations — with the intent of connecting and understanding one another,” Abdulhadi says. “To incentivize people to have these conversations, let’s give them something so they can feel comfortable and safe: Let’s give them a buy one, get one free.”
The owners say Pax & Beneficia, which opened in August 2019, was always created to be a gathering place. Its name loosely means peace & blessings in Latin. But 2020 has weighed heavier than the year prior: There’s the coronavirus pandemic, protests for racial equality and an election that has divided the nation.
“If we look at coffee,” Khayat says, citing its centuries-long history across the world, “coffeehouses were always a respite to share ideas.”
Khayat was born in Syria and Abdulhadi was born in Kuwait. Both are Palestinian-Americans whose parents came to the United States for better opportunities for their families.
“We come from countries that perhaps are more closed, politically, where you can’t even have diverging opinions,” Khayat says. “That’s the beauty of this [initiative] ... that we can have dichotomous and contrasting viewpoints and still have a discourse.”
Those who visit the shop for their buy one, get one free coffees will find a full menu of espresso drinks. There’s also Turkish coffee, which the owners of Pax & Beneficia learned to brew when they were kids. Turkish coffee is a bold-flavored drink made when finely ground coffee beans are boiled with cardamom. Turkish coffee makes up just 10% of the shop’s sales, but it represents a cultural tradition for Abdulhadi and Khayat. And Turkish coffee is rarely sold at coffee shops in North Texas.
Pax & Beneficia has a patio, for those who prefer to dine outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic. Inside, staffers set up barriers between each table and on the coffee bar, to separate baristas and customers. The shop is being kept at 50% occupancy even though Gov. Greg Abbott has relaxed occupancies at restaurants to 75%. An oversized clock in the middle of the dining room counts down hourly, showing staff and customers when it’s time to sanitize.
Coffee & Discourse started Oct. 21 and is expected to continue after Election Day.
“Regardless of the outcome of the election and which side of the aisle you’re on, the nation still needs to heal, now more than ever. So we are extending it probably until at least mid-November or at least Thanksgiving,” Abdulhadi says.
Pax & Beneficia is at 5244 N. O’Connor Blvd., Irving.
