OUR STORY

Loveon cafe founders launch groundbreaking Living Jute store to change lives in SA and Bangladesh

A first generation migrant family who grew its first business from less than nothing has launched a new venture to create jobs both in Adelaide and their homeland.

Rashed Kashir with family, colleagues and City of West Torrens Mayor Michael Coxon at Living Jute.

Founders of popular western suburbs cafes have launched a groundbreaking new business designed to change both South Australian and Bangladeshi lives.

The first generation migrant family behind Loveon and Loveon Express cafes is determined to give back to the communities that have supported them by creating employment opportunities in Adelaide and their homeland.

Living Jute is the new venture of Rashed Kabir and wife Akhi, a textile and bag shop focusing on hessian or jute.

Rashed Kabir shows off the Living Jute’s products.

After arriving in Australia from Bangladesh at 18, Mr Kabir took to making coffees quickly, eventually starting Loveon Cafe in 2013, with a bank balance of negative $500.

 you have nothing to lose, it only gets better from there, he said.

The hugely successful cafe which has since been passed onto new business owners was a home for the two sons aged eight and five.

A laptop case at Living Jute. 

They were raised in that cafe, the whole 5031 community is like a family to me, my boys have been raised by the whole community,

everyone who came to loveon helped us look after our kids, Mr Kabir said.

is such a community, such a good group of people, without it I wouldn't be where I am today.

Living Jute which opened on Wednesday on 231 Sir Donald Bradman Dr is the embodiment of the Kabir family.

Grand dream to creating positive change in the world through the skills they honedat the cafe. planning to only sell products made in Bangladesh, later on we will train people in Adelaide to help design products, I want to work with youth inc (a support group for disadvantaged youth), Mr Kabir said.

Jute is more sustainable than traditional fabrics, takes 80 per cent less water to produce than cotton and is prominent in Bangladesh where the family has established a factory producing durable pag styles.

Before Wednesday opening the Kabir had already begun manufacturing the bags for commercial groups, local schools and the City of West Torrens.