The Blue Café, located on Madison Avenue, has been serving Lakewood since 2021 and is a pillar of the community. Owned and operated by Karen Beegan, a local kindergarten teacher with a dream of serving and connecting with the community of Lakewood. The café promotes Lakewood’s finest artists, musicians and small business owners.

​Beegan and her husband had always dreamed of opening their own coffee shop, and they saw the perfect opportunity when Playgrounds Coffee closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. They decided to name the business The Blue Café after the coffee shop at Purdue University, where Beegan and her husband had met. Although the name is not local, Beegan is.

Beegan’s goals and aspirations for The Blue Café are rooted in her belief in a strong community. She created an atmosphere for artists to display their work through open-mic nights and artwork for sale from local Lakewoodites that decorate the walls. Her devotion to the community is what makes The Blue Café special to Beegan.

“I really try to focus on community, arts, and music as what is important,” said Beegan. Recently, she has reached out to some high schools in the area to collaborate with their art students and organize a senior art show. The goal would be to provide students with real-world experience, inspire young artists and help them make connections. The event would offer students a platform to showcase and sell their work, preparing them for the broader world.

The Blue Café also features shelves near the entrance, exhibiting local small businesses’ work that is hard to resist; the shelves are filled with things from earrings to lotions to clothing items. The café functions not only as a coffee shop but also as a gallery of nearby talent.

The community engagement through arts and music is not the only thing that makes this quaint café unique. The menu sets it apart from others around Lakewood in numerous ways. They offer an array of frappes, baristas’ signature drinks, coffee from Phoenix (a local coffee business), and even locally sourced pastries.

What makes The Blue Café special is the dedication put into not only the food menu but also the food itself. Everything is made freshly on the spot—never frozen—whereas other shops are not always able to say the same, making them less appealing to a paying customer.

“I feel like that’s one of the things that I brought to this place, was made food, like homemade,” said Christine, a manager.

The freshness is not the only detail that makes your experience at The Blue Café better. There are also fresh flowers and half-off pastries by the register. Every aspect has been thought out and perfectly attended to.

The Blue Café even has some famous encounters. “Did you know the ‘Bachelorette’ was filmed here once?” said Beegan.

Beyond the sweet treats, flowers, and arts, it’s the people who make the place. The staff are welcoming and kind, making encounters feel more like friendships than transactions. They show genuine interest in customers, all while serving delicious food and drinks.

The Blue Café provides a gathering place for the community. This café is so much more than what you initially see; it’s the small details and the people that make it a beloved part of Lakewood.

​Erin Boyer, a senior at Lakewood High School, appreciates The Blue Café and the environment it provides for students to study or get coffee with friends. When asked about what she thought of the food and drinks, Boyer said, “You can tell it’s not like processed food.”

The Blue Café has become a Lakewood staple in the four years since it opened. Not only does it work with the community and for the community, but the dedication from Karen Beegan and the rest of the team has created an inviting environment, with fun drinks and great food.

​Although it does not look like we will be getting a second location of The Blue Café anytime soon, it also doesn’t look like the location on Madison Avenue will be going anywhere. This staple of the Lakewood community will continue to thrive, exhibiting local art and music while serving up fun, tasty drinks and treats. Check out The Blue Café’s website for upcoming events, stop in for a coffee, and see a piece of the Lakewood puzzle.