Downtown coffee shop has hit the ground‘s’ running in Lethbridge

Lethbridge residents have nearly 30 coffee shops to help them get through the daily grind.

Rajesh Kumar Nanda at Lavenza Café doesn’t have anything against the larger chain brands. He also loves the other local spots around town, especially during October’s Small Business Month. He has a unique story about how he selected Lethbridge to open his business.

Nanda is originally from India and immigrated here in 2025 to help his family improve their lives. He knew about Alberta and Lethbridge through some friends and he heard of the opportunities that existed here.

A business idea then began percolating: providing specialty espresso coffee and teas using ingredients and features such as turmeric, black pepper and Tulsi – a religious medicinal plant of India known for its health benefits.

Nanda’s professional background includes finance and other constructive fields. Before moving here, he made an exploratory visit to Lethbridge and reached out to several people, including representatives from the City of Lethbridge. Nanda also met with Economic Development Lethbridge (EDL) and was supported through the AAIP Rural Entrepreneurship program. 

He says this proved worthwhile and meaningful.

“I met a few people here just to have in advance every kind of idea about what kind of licences or what kind of other things which I need to carry out,” says Nanda. “It seems very hard. But if you are fully dedicated and committed to anything, then every hard thing becomes easier as well. And the good part is that everybody from the City of Lethbridge guided and helped me a lot. So overall the whole system helped me in that way and things became a little easier. They made my journey very easy.”

“I’m pleased to hear Rajesh’s story,” says Bridget Mearns, Investment and Growth Officer with the City. “It shows how guidance, connections and support along the way can make a real difference for someone building a business and a life in a new community. We’re thrilled that he and his family chose Lethbridge and are building their future here. It’s a great example of what it means to be built for business and made for living.”

Lavenza Café, located at 812 3 Avenue South, soft launched about a year ago with full opening in December 2025. 

Lethbridge Police Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh is a regular and Mayor Blaine Hyggen hosted his Listening to Lethbridge coffee shop conversation event there in August. Nanda is particularly proud of the word-of-mouth reputation, his repeat customers and positive online reviews. One visitor from California even reached out later on Instagram to ask if Nanda could send her teas to the Golden State.

“We have had good support by all segments of the community,” he says. “Those reviews and views by all the community are just giving me the next hope and the energy to just keep going.”

Emily Chong, Marketing & Communications Manager for the Downtown Lethbridge BRZ, says their organization’s Small Business Month Stamp Card promotion in October had more than 80 participating businesses, including Lavenza Café.

“It's fantastic to see new businesses come in and thrive downtown,” says Chong. “I think it's important for us to support and be able to lift and provide a community so that they do feel supported. We host things like Hot Beverage Week or Small Business Month. But those don’t go forward unless the businesses want to participate. It's just great to see that. I mean, they need to buy into what we're doing just as much as we need to buy into it.”

Lavenza Café has a slogan of “soulful sips and bites.” Nanda says the mentality behind it means that whenever you are just doing similar things with a different mindset, results come in a different way. 

“I created this idea in that way that it should not be only a café. I just wanted to be a little bit different than the coffee shops which the community already has,” says Nanda, who won Hot Beverage Week back in January with his saffron tea entry.

Fast forward to today for Nanda. His daughter studying at university and the family is eagerly anticipating its permanent residency to help secure their future.

“I am just waiting for that day just to give the boost to everything,” he says.

More information on doing business in Lethbridge can be found on the City's website.