Opened just over a year ago, Semantics Cafe feels less like a café and more like a cultural hub for downtown creatives. The space hosts everything from open mics and DJ learning nights to rotating art exhibitions.
Partners in business and life, Ethan Allan and Charlize Carriere opened Semantics after losing their jobs. With backgrounds in marketing, graphic design, and event coordination, they built much of the branding themselves.
Inside, Semantics feels spacious and lightfilled. It vaguely recalls Contemporary Calgary with tall windows, industrial accents, and artwork. That may not be accidental, as the pair regularly visit galleries and arts events around the city.
The pair also drew inspiration from a few different places, including Cowdog in Vancouver for its colour palette, and Calgary’s own Loophole Coffee Bar for its live music and grungy vibe. But overall, there was no single reference point in mind.
“We just wanted to create a café that we would want to go to,” Allan says. “A place that didn’t necessarily exist in this form yet.”
Despite the raw interior, the space feels warm and lived-in. Some furniture and decorative elements come from Allan’s parents, while the drum kit in the event area was built by his father.
The café also has books and vinyl records. Some are pristine and new, while others are donated and heavily worn. “A lot of people actually like the beaten-up ones, just for the aesthetic of them,” Allan says. Most are sold for a few dollars.
The newer additions are chosen collaboratively, either through recommendations or out of simple curiosity. “Sometimes we judge it by its cover,” he says.
For the music selection, there is no specific genre they’re leaning towards. Country western currently dominates the shelves, though the collection is gradually expanding into jazz, indie rock, indie pop, and rock records from the ’70s and ’80s.
Semantics regularly hosts art exhibitions and events. The three regular ones are open mics, zine club meetings, and Controller Club, a DJ learning night where visitors can interact directly with DJs and experiment with equipment themselves. All are free to attend and open to all skill levels.
“We’re fairly open,” Allan says. “Even if it’s not necessarily an artistic medium, if it creates community movement.”
The team plans to expand programming with coffee workshops for entry-level learning. “It’ll be [about] how to get into coffee, really entry-friendly stuff, just to open up the coffee world to more people,” Allan says.
Alongside that, they’re developing their own coffee line with a playful, personality-based approach. One blend is named “Kevin” for the type of person who drinks coffee after coffee after coffee, while another upcoming blend, “Steve,” is designed to be more relaxed and easygoing.
So far, Allan is happy with how things have developed. “It’s been really cool to see the community grow with us and open our hearts and our doors.”
Looking ahead, he hopes to continue expanding the space without losing the atmosphere that first kept people coming back.
The Semantics’ motto is “Make your own meaning.” It’s a saying that reflects the cafe itself, which is difficult to define with one word.
“I’ve had people try to explain it to others, and they can’t quite figure out how to describe it,” Allan says. “I think it’s just a space you have to experience for yourself. So just come, check us out and hang out for a bit. We’re quite chatty, as you can probably tell.”
SEMANTICS FACTS
Address: 1010 1 St. S.E. Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and closed on Sundays
Food: Tasty sandwiches, sausages, and bagels. Breakfast sandwiches are planned for the future.
Drink reccs: Vanilla latte or rooibos latte made with house syrups.
Vibe: Artsy, grungy, and mellow. A good place to write your next Letterboxd entry, or meet potential new bandmates.
