Rasa Caffe

This friendly Berkley cafe is steeped in history. Owner Rasa Mott’s mother Ericka Huggins and father James Mott are longtime activists and well-known Black Panther members. Raised in Oakland around other powerful Black Power leaders, Rasa Mott learned firsthand what it looked like to provide for his community. He subsequently spent time in Ashrams in India and Oakland, and was captivated by traditional chai recipes. After perfecting his chai, it all just kind of fell into place for him to open a cafe. Today, Rasa Caffe serves delicious coffee, chai, and locally sourced pastries and food goods to the Berkley community.

Fun fact: The name Rasa means “the essence of flavor” in Sanskrit. Fitting, no?