Roughly five years ago, Edd Siu was sitting in a bar in Philadelphia. As he was sitting there he thought; "Wait, we should have one of these in Orlando, but we don't." So when he got back to Orlando, he got a piece of paper, sat with some friends and decided it was time to make amazing drinks, "because nobody wants to be average, just like everyone else. There is plenty of that out there."

So after a lot of hard work, Vespr came to be. Edd did not fail in his mission to make amazing drinks, winning Orlando Sentinel's Critic's Choice of Best Coffee in 2015 and 2016. Vespr's drinks rotate out, calling for a constant innovation and fresh ideas. Cocktails, Single Origins (coffees from specific countries with distinguished notes) and "Trademarks" are all things that remain for only a limited time.

In full disclosure, I've been attending Vespr Coffeebar since 2014, so I would say I have a bias. Yet, there is reason behind my continual patronage. Edd focuses heavily on the idea of community, which he defines as: "a group of people who share the same values, likes, love each other, respect each other, gather and enjoy each other's presence."

People go to Vespr for the amazing drinks and interact with others that appreciate those drinks. Ideas are discussed and creativity is shared. The coffee bar always has a buzz of communication or laughter between friends. But Edd has been intentional with the staff he has.

"You start with amazing hospitality and that's it. Hopefully everything will grow organically and people will identify themselves, feel at home by the environment that organically rises from whatever is going on in here."

The baristas at Vespr are sure to breakdown any preconceived notion of superiority that are placed on them with jokes and personal interaction. They will allow you to create with them, with flexible recipes and an openness to explore different flavors. So while you drink a coffee that has cocktail bitters in it or espresso shots over a PBR (which sounds horrible, but you could ask for it), you can talk to them about books, hegemony, the consistency of old chocolate, or exchange bawdy jokes.

According to Edd, one can only cultivate community by realizing it within oneself, saying; "Community starts within, you need to set this example, you need warmth and genuine hospitality." To inspire this air of comradery, Edd makes sure he and his staff implicate it into the interactions they have with their guests, hoping that it will then grow within the confines of Vespr.

However, Edd doesn't hope to be a power player or to impact Orlando on a larger scale. He seeks out personal growth and to encourage the growth of others and as a company, and however Orlando reacts to that is how Orlando reacts. Orlando in fact reacts in a very positive way, as we see from the exponential profit growth Vespr has experienced.

I asked him if he was more concerned about impacting the people who come into his door than the City Beautiful as a whole and he said "Yes. by delivering remarkable experiences and not being mediocre, not settling with what we have but always keep setting the bar higher and higher and higher and higher and higher and higher and higher and higher and higher."

You can see his scope of impact by the things he has put in place in his shop, with the creativity of each drink and the assurance of quality each drink has. You can see it with the level of respect and interaction that is present between the baristas and the guests, and between the guests themselves. Experiences and memories can be abundant for those who pay a visit to Vespr Coffeebar.

Edd Siu committed to an idea he had on a cold day in Philadelphia, and he created a community within a community. Vespr has become a sanctuary for creativity and friendship. His idea created a ripple effect that has impacted Orlando by providing a space for people to have ideas and share those ideas with friends, Edd's definition of a community. He may not have an intentionally larger scope of impact but in a way, he has an image for what he wants to do for Orlando anyway, because he cares about every person that walks in the door, and he perpetuates their growth.

Stop in Vespr, Edd told me he is going to drop some new drinks soon. Try one and talk with some of the other people there, or create there. Immerse yourself in the hospitable community that Edd has developed and share ideas with other people. And be sure to try the "Knight Tiki" while it is still around.