Inside Heliopolis, a new Calgary spot with connection at its core

You may have noticed a new sign that reads “Heliopolis Social Café” hanging across the once-vacant storefront in the Grain Exchange Building. “As opposed to, what, an anti-social café?” you might wonder...The name opens itself up to questions, so I checked out a preview to get some answers.WHAT ISN’T HELIOPOLIS?I found those answers while sitting on a cushioned chair across from the fireplace at Heliopolis, surrounded by several new faces; photographers, influencers, owners Rana and Bishoy, and their son, Hussein. We’d spent the last 10 or so minutes discussing just what Heliopolis is. Yes, the sign says “social café.” The coffee menu, supplemented with Fratello beans, freshly steamed lattes, and Turkish coffee are certainly staples of a standard café, but that’s not all Heliopolis has to offer!The food menu, which reads “Coexistence, Not Fusion,” features tastes from across the world, including Nigeria, Lebanon, Venezuela, Iran, and more, but Heliopolis is not a restaurant, either. Could it be a cocktail bar? A drink menu of Mexican Palomas and classic Negronis may indicate so, but this isn’t the kind of place you go to get drunk or party, as one might gather from the white furniture, book-lined shelves, and bright lighting. To find out what Heliopolis Social Café truly is, more emphasis should be placed on “social” than “café.” The name Heliopolis stems from ancient Egypt’s Houses of Life, which are much like ancient Greek agoras – central public spaces where citizens would gather and commune.The “café” label draws from 17th and 18th-century Paris and London cafés, that were not simply coffee houses, but also meeting places for philosophers and artists. But Heliopolis is not a space for any one specific community. It is a hub for sharing stories, meeting new people, and being one’s authentic self. WHERE STORIES INTERTWINEUpon moving to Calgary, Rana was inspired by the city’s diversity. Passionate about different cultures, art, and history, she wanted to explore all that Calgary has to offer.However, building a community around this goal proved to be quite difficult. Friends in adulthood are often your coworkers, share your languages, are in your book club, or PTA. How then, do you meet people who are not completely like you?Rana decided to create a place where cultures and stories intertwine through meaningful conversations. She pictured walls adorned with art, shelves packed with books, and activities scattered about. Two years later, that vision has come to life.Bookshelves contain literary classics and translations from all over the world, colouring books, chess sets, and puzzles are placed across tables, and every cushy white chair swivels to encourage easy-breezy conversation. “We want to go back to how you made friends in Kindergarten,” explained Rana. “It was stress-free. We just played together!”Large canvases span the walls, showcasing Bishoy’s photography from his world travels — “Rana always wanted to make me a good gallery, and she did!” Bishoy gleefully told me.Open from 11:30 am to midnight daily, Heliopolis encourages guests ages 21 and older to come and hang out as long as they like. Drinks and food are available to order as a way to elevate the experience, but socialization and conversation are at the core of Heliopolis’s vision (Don’t worry — phones and laptops are allowed, and free WiFi is available). Visitors can also keep their eyes peeled for weekly events. These will include showcasing local artists’ work, fireside chats with interesting people, intimate music nights, and storytelling — and that’s only scratching the surface of what Rana and Bishoy have in mind!TAPAS AND TABLE TALKAnd socialization supplemented by food and drinks was exactly what our little group did after being shown around by Rana and Bishoy. We snacked on beef skewers, puff puffs, and fried shrimp along with sides of labneh, peanut dip, salsa, and aioli, before migrating to the couches surrounding the fireplace for drinks and chitchat.It was here, as Bishoy topped up our wine glasses, that Rana asked us to consider what Heliopolis was if it wasn’t truly a café. The best answer came from the photographer, who until that moment, had been one of the quieter patrons of the night.“An introvert rehabilitation center.”Yes, we introverts had certainly grown comfortable with the new faces. Maybe we had even made new friends. Before officially opening to the public, Heliopolis had already done its job. With its upcoming opening next week, follow Heliopolis on Instagram for the latest info on Calgary’s newest hangout spot. Check it out, and maybe one of these days we’ll see each other there and share stories over drinks and zalabya.