Owner and founder Chidi Onukwugha has offered the Wooster Square neighborhood an ever-expanding menu with a personal touch for over three years.
Nicolas Ciminiello
Ethan Wolin, Contributing Photographer
Kaiyden’s, a coffee shop located in Wooster Square, has quickly grown into a neighborhood fixture in only three years since it opened its doors.
Named after founder Chidi Onukwugha’s 9-year-old grandniece, the pet-friendly coffee shop offers a blend of classics and specialty drinks suggested by and named after regulars, such as beet and lavender chai lattes.
“As a child, I always had a love for coffee,” said Onukwugha, smiling. “Except I remember my father always telling me I had to be thirteen to drink caffeine.”
Onukwugha’s initial desire was to open a restaurant. Upon finding this location just before the Covid pandemic, however, he realized the need for a neighborhood coffee shop and decided to open one instead. Kaiyden’s officially opened after the lockdown, in fall 2021.
A longtime resident of Westville, Onukwugha has found Wooster Square very inviting, especially given the complications he faced trying to open during the pandemic.
“This neighborhood has been very, very supportive,” Onukwugha said. “Each year has been better than the previous year.”
Onukwugha has also expanded the reach of Kaiyden’s beyond Wooster Square, catering for events at Yale as well as pop-ups around New Haven.
Ada Umeugo, a barista at Kaiyden’s, has worked at the cafe for about eight months, and in that time frame, she has already witnessed the Kaiyden’s beloved role within residents.
“People whose children go to the school down the street, people who walk around here, aldermen, representatives, lots of people come into Kaiyden’s,” said Umeugo, noting the wide variety of regulars. “I like the mom-and-pop, homey feel that Kaiyden’s has.”
As school let out Wednesday afternoon, an influx of regulars and even Onukwugha’s grandnieces entered the shop. A group of teachers from Conte West Hills Magnet School, just down the street from Kaiyden’s, said they often stopped by the shop.
Sara Nieves, a nanny who works nearby, spoke about her love for the shop and the community it’s fostered.
“It’s the same group of people here every day, the same dogs here every day, everyone knows each other, the kids are all playing together,” Nieves said. “Everyone’s having a great time together.”
Nieves, who has been coming to Kaiyden’s for around a year, has a special go-to: Sara’s Irish Cream Mocha, named after her.
Onukwugha also spoke of the importance of Black-owned businesses in New Haven.
“It’s not something we take lightly,” he said. “When we opened, it actually came as a surprise to me that we were the only Black-owned coffee shop in New Haven… I’m trying to get the word out, about us and what we do, [in the larger New Haven community].”
Even though Onukwugha desires to expand his business beyond Wooster Square, he has also seen great success locally, with events such as a Halloween Dog Costume Contest. In the spring, Onukwugha is looking forward to debuting a “surprise” festive drink.
Kaiyden’s is located at 595 Chapel St..
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