Cala Coffee continues to expand the way they provide caffeine and memorable moments to the people of Birmingham. What started as a coffee cart has grown into a full-blown shop in Cahaba Heights, and that’s just the first evolution of many. The next step in Cala’s community-focused coffee empire is a day festival featuring three great local musical acts and a collection of small businesses that have become favorites in the Birmingham area. The “Brunch Bash” takes place this upcoming Saturday, September 2nd, at Avondale Brewery from 9am to 2pm - and all are invited to this free event! 

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“Before I started Cala I used to work at an event company, so I’ve always been passionate about bringing people together for fun,” shares Cala founder Josh Cosio, “I’ve always had a passion for events - music specifically. Most music festivals are at night and coffee is usually in the morning, so we’ve had the idea of hosting some type of festival with Cala being inputted in that.” A video of Jamie Lee Curtis reflecting on how she wished more bands would play matinee shows (she’d rather see Coldplay at 2pm and get to bed on time then at 9pm and lose sleep) also planted a mental seed that would lead to the unique hours for Brunch Bash. The early times give families something fun to do early in the day and have 10 hours of Saturday left over after. 

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“I wanted to get people we partner with and brands we have relationships with in the Birmingham area be a part of this with us,” Josh explains, “That’s why we have Uncle G’s doing pizza, Ladybird Tacos will be doing breakfast tacos, Bandit Patisserie will be there, and for non alcoholic drinks Harvest Roots will be doing kombucha. We will have other vendors selling crafts and stuff like that. The main idea is coffee, beer, food, and music all bring people together so we’re doing a combination of all of that. Plus partnering with True40 to do a free workout in the morning so if people want to move a little bit then have a beer or a coffee after. Supporting local music is a part of it so all of the artists playing are from Birmingham or have some tie to Birmingham.”

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Musicians include Brotha Josh (a rising Magic City act that recently released a new music video for “The High Life”), Juco (another popular Birmingham band with a new single - “Joe Montana”), and Lily Hart (who recently opened for St. Paul and the Broken Bones). All three groups bring any indie sound that blends perfectly with the brunch vibes that Cala is setting at the brewery. And fear not Cala lovers - the famed coffee cart will be on the premises with plenty of iced caffeinated treats in tow. 

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At the end of the day, this festival is about one thing - the Magic City. “We’re new to Birmingham so we’re trying to get as ingrained in the community as possible. We know we’re out in the suburbs of Vestavia Hills but we want to become known as a household name in Birmingham proper,” Cosio reflects, “We’re excited to do more things in Birmingham city limits and getting involved in other community stuff in Birmingham. Doing stuff like this with other brands can help Birmingham grow in the right direction. It’s up and coming for a city that doesn’t have the best past so we’re excited to be a part of a new generation of businesses.”

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Mission success already, Cala. Now let’s get our brunch on.

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Cover graphic provided by Cala Coffee