Customers Fill Up Ula Cafe ‘Pay It Forward’ Wall With Kindness

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The new owners of Ula Cafe know one of the main tenets of Jamaica Plain -- giving back to others. With that in mind they created their own Pay It Forward wall, and it's been a huge success.


Last month Kelly Fernandes, Marvin Mathelier, and Beth Santos took over as co-owners of the popular neighborhood cafe. On Ula's Facebook page, they explained the wall.

"Here's the concept: If you have extra cash, buy something for a neighbor and we'll post it on the Pay It Forward wall. If you're short on cash, you can have breakfast, lunch, or coffee on the house -- just take off a post-it and redeem it, no questions asked."

Ula Cafe owners (left to right) Kelly Fernandes, Marvin Mathelier, Beth Santos

"I've honestly been amazed at how much the Pay It Forward wall has taken off, and yet not surprised in the least. One thing I really love about our neighborhood is that it is chock-full of very kind and generous people who genuinely do want to make the world better. I hope this is just the beginning of something our community uses everyday to help each other," said Santos to Jamaica Plain News.

Santos said that as residents of Egleston Square they were always huge fans of Ula, as they felt it wasn't just a cafe -- it was a community gathering space, a meetup destination, a work escape, and more. Of course, they loved the food and drink, too.

"Now that we're the owners we really want to build upon the initial owners' intentions and create a space that is open and welcoming for everyone," said Santos.

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