When Café Frida's owners Mamadou Diouf and Mario Uribe thought about selling their business, they had concerns about a new owner changing the spirit of the Santa Rosa arts district cafe.
So when old friends and neighbors Brianna Hanson and Paul Sharp offered to take over the space while maintaining the vibrancy of the eatery, it put Diouf and Uribe's minds at ease.
"They wanted to keep the same program," Diouf said. "That kind of relief kind of gave us the courage to let go."
Uribe added "We have a responsibility toward a lot of our customers who come here religiously and faithfully. We've become a real community and we wanted to keep that going."
Diouf and Uribe, who own the cafe with their respective wives Andrea Kenner and Elizabeth Uribe, opened Café Frida in 2020.
The name Café Frida comes from one of Uribe's large paintings that hangs in the space which includes images of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Luther Burbank.
Uribe partnered with Diouf to open the cafe with the same goal of building a gathering space for creatives inspired by the vibrancy of the arts district.
"Art, music and food are three very important things and creating a place in the community, in our neighborhood that did all those three things seemed like an ideal job," Uribe said.
But after five years, he said "it's time to let someone take it to the next level."
The new owners, Hanson and Sharp, have been eyeing the spot at 300 South A Street since before Diouf and Uribe moved in.
The pair are partners in business consulting firm Harp Management.
Hanson said a few months ago, Diouf told her they may be looking for new managers or owners but he and Uribe were unsure if they would sell their business.
When Hanson proposed the idea to Sharp, it was with the understanding of the importance of keeping the café's unique flavor.
"I think its concept of being a place for the arts community to gather is what differentiates it from so many place in town," Hanson said. "It's lovely here, it's colorful, it just gives a good indication of what the neighborhood is like and I think that's so important to keep in the area."
Sharp echoed Hanson's vision to preserve the café's vibe that focuses on artistic imagination.
"The music and the poetry and the art - all of that crosses cultural boundaries and creates a community that everyone fits into because everyone can bring their own interpretation to all those things," Sharp said.
Hanson said the staff will remain the same and they hope to hire more people to join their team. She said the menu will also remain the same for now, but they may change it in the future. Their biggest goals are to extend the café's business hours, add a happy hour and host more community events in the space.
Hanson said they hope to "only enhance the good" of the cafe and add on to the space. She and Sharp hope that people continue to support them the same way they supported the previous owners.
After the transition, Uribe hopes to be in his studio more often and focus on his art. Diouf said he is not sure what his next step is yet, possibly more trips to Senegal to visit his family and friends. For now, he will help Hanson and Sharp during the transition to make it seamless.
Uribe and Diouf both said even though they will not be running the cafe anymore, they will still see their customers around the community and will become loyal customers themselves.
Diouf joked, "I can't wait to finally sit down and enjoy an avocado toast because I've never done it. I'm always on the run."
Hanson said they expect to fully transition to owners by early this month as they await final permitting approvals.