Most days, the closest we get to knowing the story behind our cup of coffee is chatting with the barista. But at Vancouver’s RichlandHUB, you can be transported to East Africa, where the beans and founder James Mbuya is from. An African specialty coffee shop they source coffee, cacao, and cashews directly from East Africa, primarily Tanzania.
Growing up alongside the vibrant green and red coffee fields of Tanzania, Mbuya comes from a multigenerational coffee family. Though he moved to the United States at a young age, those early years stayed with him. “I was really heavily involved helping the grandparents pick up coffee cherries,” Mbuya shares.
The family farm started with his great-grandparents, a treasure passed down through the years. “After getting out of the military, I wanted something to connect with the community and be able to make a difference — so coffee was very streamlined for me,” he adds.
Vancouver Coffee Café Offers African Specialty Coffee With Deep Roots
Manager Faith Daniels says the mission is immediately felt when customers walk through the door. “We let them know that we’re an African specialty coffee shop,” Daniels says. “Everything comes from East Africa, where the owner is from. Those are his people.”
That connection is woven throughout the space — from African-inspired décor to photos that spark conversation. “It’s not just decor for the sake of vibes,” Daniels adds. “There’s so much more behind it.”
Even the name RichlandHUB tells a story. “The name actually comes from the rich lands of Tanzania,” Daniels explains. “The soil is so rich with nutrients — you can put anything in the ground and it’ll grow.”
Vancouver Coffee Roaster Sees Healthcare as a Global Community Investment
One of RichlandHUB’s most powerful impacts reaches far beyond Vancouver. Through its built-in philanthropic model, the café supports communities in coffee-growing regions of Tanzania — starting with a medical clinic project launched in 2022.
During a visit to a western Tanzanian region, James Mbuya saw the need firsthand. “Almost 3,000 people in those villages didn’t have a single medical clinic,” he says. “They rely on coffee farming every day just to feed their families. It didn’t feel right.”
Rather than imposing a solution, Richland Hub partnered with local elders. “They already had the initiative in place,” Mbuya shares. “They just didn’t have funding or know how to get the clinic running — so we decided that would be our first project.”
Daniels emphasizes the human impact behind that decision. “A lot of the farmers are women who would have to walk miles for healthcare,” she says. “Could you imagine walking miles while pregnant just to make sure your baby’s okay?”
Unlike traditional models where philanthropy sits on the sidelines, RichlandHUB embeds giving into its business structure. “We tend to immediately separate commerce and our ability to make an impact,” Mbuya says. “I strongly believe those two things can be achieved at the same time.”
Every purchase — whether a cup of coffee, a bag of beans, or wholesale green coffee — carries equal weight. Allowing every customer to make an impact on the folks who made their cup of jo possible. “It’s not transactional.” Mbuya says, “It’s a relationship between the farmers, the business, and the consumer.”
Creating a Community Hub in Downtown Vancouver
For Daniels, downtown Vancouver feels like a small-town square, where locals connect with each other and store runners remember your name. “You get that, ‘Hey, how’s your wife?’ feeling,” she says. And RichlandHUB fits right in with the community. “This place encourages conversation and exposure to different cultures.”
Customers often connect personally with the story. “Some people come in excited to support a Black-owned business,” Daniels says. “Others have been to Tanzania or East Africa, or have family there. Where else are you going to get that in Vancouver?”
Inside the café, curiosity is welcomed. “People walk in and go, ‘What is this place?’” Daniels says. “And that gives us the opportunity to tell the story.”
As Richland Hub continues to grow, both locally and globally Mbuya hopes the mission remains simple and expansive. Daniels echoes that sentiment. “It’s people first,” she says. “Humans being nice humans, taking care of each other — that’s the root of it.”
Mbuya sees RichlandHUB as an inspiration, “I want people to feel like we’re more connected than we think. As long as we have common goals, we can continue to touch each other’s lives in a small way,” he says. Just as the Vancouver community’s support has already made its mark on the café, “The reaction from the community is what inspires the entire Richland Hub family.”
RichlandHUB Café
2420 Main Street, Vancouver
360.433.2623
