Coffee with a cause: Wishing Cup Café is making dreams come true
From creative lattes to community-driven generosity, BU grad’s café is reshaping what a coffee shop can be
COFFEE. SOMETHING SPECIAL IS BREWING IN BOSTON’S FINANCIAL DISTRICT. WE ARE A PURPOSE DRIVEN CAFE. EVERY ORDER COULD COME WITH A SIDE OF HOPE. WE HAVE WISH CARDS. PEOPLE CAN COME IN. THEY CAN WRITE DOWN A WISH, WHETHER IT’S FOR THEMSELVES OR FOR A GREATER PURPOSE. AND THAT’S THE MAGIC BEHIND THE NAME THE WISHING CUP. EACH MONTH, OWNER KAREN AND HIS TEAM GRANT ONE SPECIAL WISH ON THE 25TH OF EVERY MONTH, WE SELECT THREE AND WE POST THOSE ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIAS. AND THEN PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY VOTE. AND WHICHEVER ONE HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES IS WHAT WE ACTUALLY GRANT WITHIN THE FOLLOWING MONTH. KAREN, A NATIVE OF DUBAI AND A RECENT BOSTON UNIVERSITY GRAD, SAYS HE STARTED WISHING CUP TO BRING A LITTLE GOOD TO THE COMMUNITY. I’VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE IN THE POSITION WHERE I STUDIED IN BOSTON TO immediately START THIS, THAT I WANT TO PAY IT FORWARD. ONE OF THOSE WINNING WISHES WAS MADE FOR CHRISTOPHER’S HAVEN. WE PROVIDE HOUSING FOR FAMILIES WHO COME TO BOSTON WITH THEIR KIDS SO THAT THEY CAN GET CANCER TREATMENT. HOW DID YOU LEARN AND HEAR ABOUT THE WISHING CUP? SO SOMEONE WHO VOLUNTEERED AT CHRISTOPHER’S HAVEN MADE A WISH THAT ALL OF OUR FAMILIES WOULD HAVE SOME TREATS AND COFFEE SOME MORNING. THEY BROUGHT CROISSANTS, COFFEES FOR ALL THE PARENTS. AND YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT SOMEONE THEY DIDN’T KNOW FROM THE COMMUNITY HAD JUST WANTED TO grab THEM A CUP OF COFFEE AND BRING THEM CROISSANTS WAS REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL. BEYOND THE WISHES, THE WISHING CUP IS ALSO KNOWN FOR ITS CREATIVE DRINKS. AND THE BEST PART? EVERY DRINK COMES WITH A BROWNIE BITE. HOW ABOUT A CARAMEL, LISA? OR BETTER YET, A MATCHA WORLD? ALL OF THE FOOD AND DRINK OVER HERE IS ACTUALLY WHAT I’VE GROWN UP HAVING, SO IT’S A LOT OF IT IS ACTUALLY MY MOM’S RECIPES AND EVERY GOODIE SOLD HELPS MAKE SOMEONE’S DAY A LITTLE BRIGHTER. WE SET ASIDE A PERCENTAGE OF SALES FROM THE PRIOR MONTH, SO IT’S LIKE THE MORE PEOPLE THAT COME IN, THE LARGER WE GROW. BUT RIGHT immediately IT’S AROUND $1,000, GIVE OR TAKE, FOR THE WISHES THAT WERE GRANTED. WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS FOR WISHING CUP? SO THE HOPE IS TO ACTUALLY GRANT A WISH A DAY. I MEAN, THE EXCITEMENT THAT YOU HEAR ON THESE CALLS JUST MAKES ME SO HAPPY BECAUSE IT’S LIKE, OKAY, EVEN WHEN WE’RE MAKING COFF
Coffee with a cause: Wishing Cup Café is making dreams come true
From creative lattes to community-driven generosity, BU grad’s café is reshaping what a coffee shop can be
Updated: 8:11 PM EST Nov 19, 2025
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Something special is brewing in Boston’s Financial District. The Wishing Cup is more than a coffee shop—it’s a purpose-driven cafe where every order fuels a little more good. Founded by Boston University graduate and Dubai native Karan Dhamecha, the cafe invites customers to write “wish cards” and helps turn one community wish into reality each month.How the Wish Program works:Customers write a wish—personal or for a greater cause—on in-store wish cards.On the 25th of every month, the team selects three wishes and shares them on social media.The community votes, and the best wish is granted the following month.One recent winning wish benefited Christopher’s Haven, which provides housing for families whose children are receiving cancer treatment in Boston. A volunteer submitted a wish that every family could enjoy a morning treat. The Wishing Cup delivered croissants and coffees for parents of patients; small comforts that meant a lot during a challenging time and made families feel seen and supported by their community.
Something special is brewing in Boston’s Financial District. The Wishing Cup is more than a coffee shop—it’s a purpose-driven cafe where every order fuels a little more good. Founded by Boston University graduate and Dubai native Karan Dhamecha, the cafe invites customers to write “wish cards” and helps turn one community wish into reality each month.
How the Wish Program works:
- Customers write a wish—personal or for a greater cause—on in-store wish cards.
- On the 25th of every month, the team selects three wishes and shares them on social media.
- The community votes, and the best wish is granted the following month.
One recent winning wish benefited Christopher’s Haven, which provides housing for families whose children are receiving cancer treatment in Boston. A volunteer submitted a wish that every family could enjoy a morning treat. The Wishing Cup delivered croissants and coffees for parents of patients; small comforts that meant a lot during a challenging time and made families feel seen and supported by their community.
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