A Halifax coffee shop became a second home to a young man who left a lasting impact.

Friends and family are remembering Kevin Baker with every cup of jo they sip.

“I don't think it's set in yet,” said Samantha Baker, Kevin’s sister.

“We don't want it to be real,” said Baker’s friend, Erin Taylor.

Family and friends say Kevin Baker lit up every room he walked into.

“When Kevin shows up, you immediately get to know him, like he's a friend immediately,” said friend Mike Tanner.

Kevin Baker was a member of the Royal Canadian Navy and those close to him say he was always helping others.

When he started coming to Local Jo Cafe in Halifax, he quickly became more than just a regular customer.

“Somebody would call him in the middle of the night and he would show up,” said Taylor.

He even showed up at Local Jo during a power outage with his coffee maker and gas burner to help serve customers and staff.

“One day, the lady in the kitchen came out and he was like ‘Hi!’ and she was like ‘Do I know him?' and we were like ‘Nope, that's just Kevin,’” said Jenna Cormier, a staff member at Local Jo.

Sadly, after a long struggle with mental illness, Kevin took his life on March 3.

On Wednesday, the Local Jo Cafe opened its doors to pay it forward, just as Kevin had done so many times before.

“It's a very Kevin-type thing to do, and it shows why this is the cafe that he chose to make his second home,” said Samantha Baker.

Wednesday would have been Kevin's 26th birthday.

“Kevin didn't need an occasion to be with the people that he loved, and spend time with the people that he loved, so every day was his birthday, if that's what the philosophy of a birthday is,” said Taylor.

All proceeds from Wednesday's sales at Local Jo were matched by the cafe's owners and donated in Kevin's name to Laing House -- a drop-in centre for troubled youth.

“We're grateful that they've seen him as amazing as we have and that they're willing to give as he would,” said Samantha Baker.

Despite emotions running high, the day was filled with laughter and memories

“The thing that I've loved the most is, everyone's sad, everyone’s upset, but you see happy people who are getting to talk about the amazing things that Kevin did and the great stories around him,” Tanner said. “And so I'm really happy to see that people are remembering the really awesome parts of Kevin’s life.”

Friends and family also gathered donations Wednesday evening at the Eastern Passage legion for Feed Nova Scotia -- a charity that was near and dear to Kevin's heart.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Eilish Bonang.