Buffalo, NY - Something new is brewing in Science Hall this semester: a coffee shop that’s owned and operated by two Canisius alumnae who hope to create space for solid coffee, culture and community on campus.
Co-owners and twin sisters Alicia and Alisa Officer grew up in a close-knit family on Buffalo’s East Side close to campus. Their grandmother Mary Hall helped shape the sisters’ belief that a great cup of coffee connects people and can be a catalyst for good. The concept of opening their own café took shape when Alisa suggested to a student she was tutoring that he should try studying in a coffee shop to help focus. He said he didn’t feel comfortable walking into one.
“I didn’t realize what a privilege it was to walk into a cafe, buy a cup of coffee and feel comfortable hanging out,” Alisa said. “We wanted to create a welcoming experience that was accessible, near public transportation and had free Wi-Fi.”
COVID hit just as they were getting the café up and running. Undeterred, Unapologetic Coffee pivoted to the roasting side of the business where they could sell high-quality coffee for customers to brew at home. Post-pandemic, they returned to their original vision of opening a true café space that became a neighborhood hub.
Sorry, not sorry
The name Unapologetic Coffee is a celebration of identity and intention. The Officer sisters run their business with authenticity, high standards and deeply rooted values, without compromise or regrets.
Beans are sourced from small family farms and cooperatives across South America and Africa. Each single-origin batch is carefully roasted to highlight its unique characteristics and develop a distinct flavor profile. By buying directly, Unapologetic Coffee maintains control over its supply chain and the quality of its beans—while ensuring that the skilled Black and brown individuals who grow and handpick them are paid fair wages.
What drives Alisa and Alicia is their commitment to growing the business in their East Side community, sharing what they’ve learned with others, and creating café spaces where people can be unapologetically themselves.
Grounds for celebration
In 2021, Unapologetic Coffee earned second place in the M&T Bank Multicultural Small Business Lab Connection, a program in partnership with the New Buffalo Institute (NBI) at Canisius University that provides funding and mentorship to Black, Indigenous, Latinx and refugee businesses. The recognition sparked four years of investment, growth, and opportunity, cementing the café’s place in Buffalo’s coffee scene. In 2024, the Buffalo Urban League for Young Professionals named the sisters Entrepreneurs of the Year.
Recently, Unapologetic Coffee relocated its flagship café to the Best Self building adjacent to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and purchased a building to house roasting operations. Along with a robust online business, the Canisius café in Science Hall marks the brand’s second brick-and-mortar location.
“Having spent so much time around campus, we knew there was a need for this kind of coffee experience,” said Alicia. “We want a café that feels like home, where you’re welcome to stay and study.”
Her sister Alisa added, “We want to give back to the community that took care of us. It’s on us to take care of the next generation. We see it as paying off an investment that the school and our neighborhood made in us.”
Unapologetic Coffee at Canisius will be open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. during the school year serving the brand’s signature small-batch coffee along with a select food menu. The café is also open to the public.
Alicia Officer, ’10, MS ’12, majored in accounting, earned a master’s degree in forensic accounting, and owns Halo FG LLC, an accounting company that serves small businesses.
Alisa Officer, ’10, MS ’12, a mathematics and education major, earned a master’s in education and is the Director of Curriculum & Instruction at Buffalo’s Health Sciences Charter School.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
