Unplug from Climate Anxiety at Faro Cafe

I like going to Faro Cafe not only because they have great beverages, but also because it’s a rejuvenating spa-like space. This may sound like an odd impression to have of a small city coffee shop that is bustling with customers, but the Cambridge-based cafe describes itself as “regenerative” and “post-productive.” Faro, which just celebrated its one-year mark, considers the future in every aspect of its operation and I can feel this. The atmosphere oozes with aesthetic appeal; natural materials, plants, and locally produced art set the vibe. Small clusters of patrons sit on wooden chairs which, according to the cafe’s Instagram, were sourced second-hand from flea markets and estate sales. My barista is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School who wears hiking boots. It’s the kind of place that eco-celebrity Keanu Reeves might visit if he’s in town (wink-wink). 

The small cafe makes climate consciousness cool. Artist-drawn flyers advertise open mic nights, art events, and block party participation. Faro’s regenerative approach to coffee pouring is thoughtful and intentional — when they first opened in January 2023, they didn’t offer plastic to-go lids and encouraged customers to bring their own reusable lids instead. They have since started offering compostable lids to customers who wish to take their brew on the road. 

Foodwise, things are kept as local as possible. Nearby roasters provide the coffee beans (including Broadsheet in Somerville and Tiny Arms in Lowell) and small, local bakery La Saison supplies the pastries. And, to my knowledge, Faro is the only coffee shop around where it is 25 cents cheaper to order plant-based milk. The owner, Henry F. Hoffstot, explains that the kind of dairy products they choose to use — local and from happy cows —are more resource intensive and have a higher cost than plant-based milks so they need to price them higher. I love this inverted price choice because it is truthful to the environmental impacts of dairy and these kinds of social and economic “default nudges,”  have been shown to lead to a reduction in dairy intake and an increase in the consumption of plant-based milk among customers. 

Three months ago, I would be typing this article at Faro with an oat milk latte to keep me company. But recently, Faro discontinued the use of laptops after initially allowing them during the week. Like many who feel the draw of the Luddite lifestyle due to its mental health and time management benefits, this scored Faro another point for me. Faro risked their local reputation by doing this. “Faro, ugh that place doesn’t allow laptops,” my friend’s sister, a senior at Harvard, said to me. “I don’t like to go there.” 

But according to Henry, the payoff is worth it. Supporting community sustainability during climate adaptation means re-designing social winter gathering spaces to ask how public space design can increase opportunities for socializing during the winter. Post-laptop ban, the community table at Faro is full of small groups chatting rather than individual workers on laptops. I’m a fan. 

Recently, I brought my cousin to Faro for the first time. She was enchanted by the aesthetic and couldn’t believe it when I told her it was laptop-free. We sat in the wooden chairs that had been given new life and made conversation with the couple sitting next to us who lived in my neighborhood. This is a form of climate resilience, I thought. Talking more, producing less. My therapist would call the time spent in Faro “soothing to my parasympathetic nervous system.” I, like others I know, feel the effect of climate anxiety whenever I open my screen to read my newsfeed. Put simply, spending time at Faro feels nice. 

When I close my eyes and picture the eco-harmonious world I’ve discussed with friends and climate comrades at various potlucks, classrooms, and activist events, I picture Faro as part of it. It’s inspiring to witness fellow millennials build small food businesses grounded on principles of sustainability and to have the courage to make counter-cultural business decisions in pursuit of a new kind of ethos. The existence of a small coffee shop is a teeny tiny aspect of the future, but if it’s where people go to fill their cups daily, then it’s worth paying attention to. 

Faro Cafe is located at 5 Arrow Street in Cambridge. They’re open Monday through Thursday from 8am to 4pm and Friday through Sunday from 8am to 5pm. Keep up with their Instagram @faro__cafe for updates on additional events.