Hãnai Coffee, a cafe aimed at helping foster youth, closes in Phoenix

Hãnai offered job opportunities and training for foster teens in Laveen. Nikki Michelle Charnstrom

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When Hãnai Coffee opened in 2022, its mission was more than serving coffee. The business provided job opportunities and coaching for foster youth and those aging out of the foster care system.

But after two years, the coffee shop and cafe is set to close. Owners Ryan and Sara Senters posted the news to Hãnai's social media and will serve their last lattes on Saturday.

"Hãnai's dream was to give the Laveen community a beautiful space to gather, while also providing support and valuable work experience for local foster youth," the post said. "We will be forever grateful that we were given the last two years to fulfill that dream."

The post went on to thank customers and employees for their support and dedication.

click to enlarge

Ryan and Sara Senters opened Hãnai in Laveen to employ and support foster teens who are aging out of the system. Their Peoria location remains open.

Nikki Michelle Charnstrom

The Senters, who are adoptive and foster parents, started their work to help foster youth long before Hãnai came to fruition. In 2015, the couple launched Ohana, a non-profit that works with foster youth and adults with special needs.

To expand on that mission, the Senters started working toward opening Hãnai in 2021, signing a lease on a former CrossFit gym and working on renovations for nine months. The cafe celebrated its grand opening in May 2022, launching its program to employ foster teens between ages 15 and 19.

“We wanted to create a business where they can work, be trained up, learn a skill but also have people that cared about them deeply,” Ryan previously told Phoenix New Times.

Despite the Laveen cafe's closure, Hãnai's programs continue through its second location, a cafe that recently opened in Peoria. The owners explained their new focus in the closing announcement.

"While the economic climate has forced us to close this location, Hãnai is still dedicated to helping Arizona foster youth," the post says. "Our fully non-profit location, Hãnai Peoria City Hall, will continue to train, employ and support young adults as they age out of the foster care system. Our new focus is to expand this program to serve even more young adults throughout the Valley."

Hãnai Peoria City Hall

8401 W. Monroe St., Peoria