Gerardo Reyes, a Rhode Islander for 13 years, has built his new cafe from scratch, with hopes that it will become a neighborhood hub.

CENTRAL FALLS

Dexter Street now has a cafe serving espresso drinks, muffins and pastries. By summer they will be making panini — grilled sandwiches — adding more items to the menu. Live acoustic music is on tap for Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

Gerardo Reyes, 33, has big plans for his cozy Chikondi Cafe, and he's worked hard to make it happen. He did all the construction himself, from installing the floors to distressing plywood to create interesting counters and tabletops.

"I feel satisfied, because I did this with my own hands."

He's purposely left the walls a naked white and hopes that artistic students from Central Falls High School will grace them with murals and art projects. He has Wi-Fi and wants Chikondi to be a place that the students frequent after school. "So they will feel part of the community," he said. "I hope they will see they can reach their goals, as I did mine with the cafe."

A Rhode Islander for 13 years since he came from Guatemala, Reyes has had a variety of jobs, including working at Subway, Wendy's and Friendly's. His fast-food jobs inspired him to open his own spot, a cafe like none other in this city.

The location seems perfect for a new food business. It's not far from three well-established restaurants, Stanley's Famous Hamburgers, Mexican restaurant Taqueria Lupita, and El Paisa, a Colombian restaurant.

The name Chikondi comes from a dialect spoken in Zambia and it means love. A friend from an East Providence church was in the Peace Corps in Africa and shared the name with him.

"It's like a United Nations fit," he said. "Something you can only find here."

Right now he is the only one you'll find behind the counter at the cafe, which is open seven days a week: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 2 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, after he attends church. The hours will expand over the summer, he said.

On the day I visited, not only was Mayor James Diossa in the cafe, so too was City Council president Robert Ferri and Alfonso Acevedo, publisher of the regionally circulated America News en Español. The city hosted a ribbon-cutting last weekend for Reyes.

Reyes said he and his partners put up the money to open the cafe without loans. City officials helped him navigate the paperwork and inspections, he said.

DETAILS

Chikondi Cafe, 590 Dexter St., Central Falls, (401) 723-2345, on Facebook Chikondi Cafe. The cafe seats 25, has tables and counter seating, and a big-screen TV.

— gciampa@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7266

On Twitter: @gailciampa