Karoline Ouellet says her boss Alan Pang is generous by nature.
“He has to be one of the nicest people on the planet,” agrees regular customer Rosemary Hahn. “He has a heart of gold, and is very respectful. He just does something for this area.”
It’s a vibe, Hahn says, and the fact Pang – and staffers Ouellet and Thea Analise at Savoury Cafe on Oak Bay Avenue – can make coffee for any regular, and seem to know names, even of those who don’t come back on a daily basis.
So when Pang stumbled across a good cause in his personal life, he found a way to make it his business.
“My niece’s grandpa was at the Hospice and I wanted to help. It started there and I thought, why not do 12?” said Pang, owner of Savoury Cafe.
So for 12 weeks, each Tuesday, coffee and tea sales go to a different local charity. On Oct. 13 they started with $330 toward Victoria Hospice, then $312.25 to the Victoria S.P.C.A. then $450 to the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre.
Ouellet even added her tips, and says the customers often get involved.
“(Some customers) just pitch in an envelope of money. They really want to participate,” Ouellet said.
Dec. 22 is slated to be the last of the giving Tuesdays, with the charities selected on recommendations from family, customers and friends.
It offers his customers an opportunity to do a little bit, Pang says, where the price of a coffee makes a difference and can add up to a lot.
Tell us about your unique fundraiser for local charities or the holiday causes. Email editor@oakbaynews.com.