A new gathering place in downtown Spokane aims to offer more than just a cup of coffee. Instead, Good Medicine Apothecary LLC is meant for cultural exchange, conversation, and a curated listening experience.

Good Medicine opened in March at 301 W. Second. The new venture is led by owner Rickey "Deekon" Jones and his business partner Brittany Trambitas, who serve small coffee house blends and specialty drinks with a broader mission centered on culture, community, and education.

Jones says the concept has been more than a decade in the making, shaped by his lifelong dream. While he long envisioned opening a space similar to Good Medicine, he has spent a lot of his career in the behavioral health field working to help youth in the community.

"Behavioral health was actually a major side track from my actual goals," Jones says. "I started out wanting to open a community listening space, but got diverted into behavioral health. Now, it is coming full circle and I am able to have a safe and healthy gathering area for the community."

The business offers a variety of drinks and baked goods, and for select events, catering is offered, which typically features Indigenous and African cuisine.

Jones, who grew up on the Nez Perce Reservation in Idaho, says maintaining a connection to his heritage plays a big part in his business plan.

"Keeping in tune with my roots is important," shares Jones. "And music has helped me through multiple stages in my life, so this idea came together naturally once I was able to focus on building it."

Jones says Trambitas is the general manager, responsible for operating the food and apothecary sections of the business, while he coordinates the educational and musical experiences.

"Brittany makes all the magic happen with the food and drinks," Jones says. "She also helps customers mix and match their own herbal tea mixes. We also offer premixed herbal packages, and we buy as many ingredients as we can through local sources."

In addition to the cafe, Good Medicine also sells books, art, herbs, incense, and other goods.

"Originally, the coffee and retail aspect was more of an afterthought," explains Jones. "I was really interested in creating a great listening experience tied to deep conversations."

Drawing inspiration from Japanese "jazz kissas," Jones says the model is designed around a high-fidelity sound system and curated vinyl record collection. Jazz kissas are niche cafes that emerged in Japan in the early-to-mid 20th century. These cafes became popular after World War II as a way for Japanese people to hear imported records, and kissas remain a meditative and historically significant part of Japan's music culture, Jones says.

Creating that experience took significant time and effort, he contends. Jones spent months renovating the space, which had been vacant since 2020.

Growing the brand's visibility is the main goal right now, Jones says, but he is already looking into available spaces for a second location that will specifically be for music. Ultimately, he says he envisions Good Medicine to be a space where people come together over shared experiences, and that is the main purpose of the business.

"It's a coffeehouse anchored by cultural learning," Jones says. "We want people to come in, learn something, feel something, and take that energy out into the community."