Brewing Hope: How One Albanian Café Is Transforming Lives
November 16, 2025
There are more coffee shops per capita in Albania than anywhere in the world, but one offers more than just a good brew. The Bridge offers hope and community.
In Albania, the unfortunate reality is that many citizens feel hopeless about their country and its economic prospects; anger and aggression run high; mistrust in the government and with one another runs rampant. These deep-rooted challenges need a soul-reaching solution.
“We felt convicted to open a coffee shop to try stepping into that space more purposefully, creating a version of what everybody already knows how to engage with,” says Caleb, GEM worker and co-founder of The Bridge.
As the team prepared to open the café, they encountered Sabria, a woman in her 70s who runs a hotel across the street from The Bridge. She took it upon herself to share advice, not hesitating to offer criticism, especially when she felt certain they were doing something wrong. Her words often came across as abrasive. Yet, recognizing she had wisdom that came from years of business ownership, the Bridge team learned to trust and listen to her.
As they built a relationship, Sabria heard the Gospel and began to show a hunger for spiritual input. Today, the team sees the Holy Spirit at work in her; Sabria is coming alive as she pursues more knowledge about Jesus.
This coffee shop isn’t your typical café. It’s marketed as a “specialty coffee shop,” not just offering great brews, but radical Kingdom hospitality.
“We roast in a different way, and people are attracted to something that’s excellent, high quality, and special,” Caleb shares. But that’s not the only reason this café stands out.
“We’re trying to emulate what scripture says in Matthew 25:42-46,” Caleb says. “And so, we bake things and offer them for free, along with a glass of water. We have shoes and clothes for people who might express a need. We actively talk and listen to stories. Almost every interaction ends up pulling back the curtain, because those who come in are inquisitive, asking, ‘Why? What are you doing? What is this about?’”
This unique environment is what drew in Daryna, a Ukrainian woman struggling with depression. She began coming into the coffee shop simply to soak up the atmosphere of kindness and peace. Since she began spending time in The Bridge, she has shifted from calling herself an agnostic to professing that she is seeking to know more about God.
Although the café is open from 8:30 to 3:30, the afternoons and evenings remain open for community events—Bible studies, English classes, game nights—activities that help bring value or cultivate community.
“We want to draw people in and have them encounter not just an establishment, but people who are living lives of love,” Caleb says. “We want to cultivate availability—being present and available in the community. There are some programs, yes, but most of the good stuff happens in normal everyday ways.”
It often feels as if a week’s worth of ministry is packed into each day, both with transient visitors and regulars. Clearly, God is actively moving in The Bridge.
Asim, who rode his bike around the neighborhood, appeared at first to be homeless. Physically handicapped, slurring his words, he gave the impression of being mentally slow while actually possessing a sharp, clear mind and a relational personality. He had gone through hard times. When he came into The Bridge, the team gave him food and water, and as he spent time with them, he often wept and shared with them the pain in his life.
Caleb, his wife Haley, and their co-workers spoke to him of Jesus and read Scripture to him. Hungry for comfort and truth, Asim, who could not read, soaked it in, repeating and remembering what he learned. As he continues to discover the Lord, he seeks to bless the team at the Bridge by bringing small gifts—a sign of true friendship in Albanian culture.
“God is pulling together this new community. It’s not the café; it’s this interconnected group of relationships that has emerged through the ministry at the café,” Caleb says. “And some of the people have come to faith and are growing but have needs. And so, we’re [feeding and shepherding as the Lord leads], and He is steadily growing that.”
Once such example is of an American man, formerly in the military, who walked by The Bridge drunk one day. Steven was deep into drugs and alcohol and feeling suicidal. The team reached out and began building a relationship with him. Desperate, Steven was more than ready to consider the Gospel. He soon confessed faith in Jesus and was baptized. Although he still struggles, he is learning to live in the light and turn to God in repentance rather than seek solace in addiction.
“We are trying to build a community of people who are committed to the way of Jesus, who over the course of time are exposed to it and are invited into it, and taught how to walk in His ways and experience life with Him. And so, we just do that together.”
Through natural Kingdom conversations and open hearts, the staff at The Bridge are passionate about helping others discover Christ.
To learn more about The Bridge or other café ministries within GEM, contact: [email protected]
Authors:
Leanne Monge Barrera serves in the Greater Europe Mission Canada Office as a Storyteller and Marketing Coordinator.
Jenny Garrity is a Storyteller with Greater Europe Mission. Jenny and her husband Kim joined GEM in 1984. They have served in Germany, Belgium, and most recently, Greece in response to the refugee crisis.