The Mental Bar Grand Opening

Black-Owned café is Southeastern San Diego’s newest gathering spot

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PHOTOS: Darrel Wheeler

By Darrel Wheeler

On the last Saturday in September, the husband and wife team of Daneyel and Tommy Walker could be seen on 6325 Imperial Ave with a super-sized pair of scissors clutched firmly in their hands.

The Mr. and Mrs. were standing behind a red-ceremonial ribbon in front of an audience of coffee connoisseurs and excited well-wishers.  

When the scissors met the ribbon and ribbon hit the ground, the brand new Mental Bar coffee shop and more was pronounced officially open for business. Nestled in the Black Cultural Arts District the cafe features menu items, aesthetics, free WIFI and an outdoor space featuring a mural representing San Diego’s 4th District. The cafe is open seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

“We are pretty excited about the Mental Bar,” shared co-owner Tommy Walker. “Its been a two-and-a-half year project that me and my wife Daneyel have been working on. The community really needed a third place. The first place is your home, the second is your workplace, and the third is where you come out and meet your neighbors and communicate like we used to. This is just a great opportunity to bring a place like this into the community right in the heart of Southeast.”

The Mental Bar –  now serving wellness one sip at a time.