Hi I’m Natalie- founder of The Occasional Cafe

Columbia has always been very dear to my heart. I was born and raised here, and it’s the kind of place that has always felt like home in a very real way.

After spending time living in different places, I realized I wasn’t meant to recreate that feeling somewhere else — I was meant to come back to it.

My background is Costa Rican, Puerto Rican, and Italian, and one thing those cultures all share is the importance of food, conversation, and time together. That spirit naturally shaped this café.

Growing up with different cultural influences also gave me a deep appreciation for spaces where people feel welcomed as they are. This café is rooted in that — an inclusive space where people can come as they are, feel comfortable, and share a moment of connection, however that looks for them.

The Occasional Café is built around a simple idea: life is already the occasion. The small, ordinary moments — coffee with someone, a quiet pause, a laugh, a conversation — are often the ones that matter most and that we remember 20 years later.

This space is meant to feel like a place to slow down, connect, create, and enjoy being present again. A little warmth, a little joy, and a reminder that everyday life is already enough.

Thank you for being here and for helping bring this little dream to life!