Boston’s only free coffee shop, Good Neighbor Cafe, took over O St. Saturday for a one-day pop-up offering free coffee, sweets, and swag from local vendors. The Good Brand CEO Jack Traca’s brainchild drew more than 700 RSVPs on Instagram, and the event gave away plenty of free coffee and merchandise.

Traca and Atomic Coffee Roasters Head of Content Dana Jensen explained that opening a free coffee shop was a way to bring the community together, using a $300 grant from the City’s Spooky Streets Program.

“Coffee is community. Coffee promotes conversation. Coffee promotes getting together in person,” Traca said. “The city of Boston was promoting these neighborhood block parties, and we had the resources and opportunity to give free coffee away.”

Traca and Jensen have been collaborating since Traca’s viral series about building an igloo in his backyard. Traca called Good Neighbor Cafe his second chance to bring the community together after trespassers destroyed his igloo on February 15.

The duo said they had 21 days to solve the logistical challenges of opening a cafe and ensuring everyone could enjoy a cup of coffee. Salem-based Poyant Studios and Lucky House Printing created original artwork for the brand and printed T-shirts, which were given away for free. PopUp Bagels, American Provisions, and Jamie’s Ice Cream Co. additionally provided free snacks for early attendees.

“There was no money made. Everybody helped promote it out of the goodness of their hearts. It was just fun to have something that’s totally free and give people something to look forward to on a Saturday,” Traca said.

But not everyone was looking forward to free coffee. Boston City Councilor and Southie resident Ed Flynn urged the Boston Police Department to revoke the event’s permit and for the City to “reevaluate this use of public money.” 

“It is especially difficult for residents to understand that the City would now issue these grants and public funding to social media influencers, who may organize gatherings that put further strain on city spending and resources, potentially for their own personal gain and to increase followers and engagement,” Flynn wrote in a letter to BPD Commissioner Michael Cox.

Flynn alleged that the 700 RSVPs exceeded the scope of a regular block party and that the public safety implications of a large gathering could require additional police detail to handle crowd control and illegal parking.

Some neighbors reported they were blindsided by the pop-up and alleged they woke up to their car blocked by the crowd.

“My neighbors don’t follow him on Instagram and neither do I. Many of us were surprised this morning to see the line for free coffee and had cars blocked in. They got the permit, but the communication to residents was very poorly handled.” Megan, via Caught in Southie comments.

Traca and Jensen declined to respond to Flynn’s comments or if they received any pushback from neighbors. 

Attendees including South Boston Neighborhood Liaison Lydia Polaski reported enjoying the event. In a post to Instagram, Polaski called the event wonderful and said she noticed neighbors connecting offline with no phones in sight.

“[Traca’s] mom shared that she was happy to see neighbors chatting with one another – phones tucked away. I took a look around, she was right, which tells me the company was truly enjoyable,” Polaski said.

This event was made possible by the Human Services Cabinet and Office of Neighborhood Services block party grant program. In partnership with non-profit Elevate Cities, Boston has offered $500 grants to residents looking to throw public parties this fall.

“Boston’s block party program supports residents hosting their own gatherings to bring people together and create lasting memories and bonds. This year, with support from Elevate Cities, we are making it easier for even more residents to host block parties and turn our streets into joyful community spaces,” said Mayor Michelle Wu in September. 

Spooky Streets or Fall and Harvest Grant-funded events will take place through Sunday, November 22. A list of where and when residents can participate in these parties can be found here.