Riverwest’s The Daily Bird Hosts Narcan Trainings and Serves Community with Unique Look 

East Center Street has welcomed The Daily Bird, a bright yellow, independent coffee shop that fosters positivity and community building, especially through their harm-reduction Narcan trainings. Dan Zwart, the sole owner of The Daily Bird, says that Narcan training was part of his plan from early on.  

“It’s (The Daily Bird’s) contribution to educating the community via Narcan training has provided a safe space for anyone to learn,” said Cecelia Mahan-Cotter, a Riverwest native that frequents the shop.

Zwart opened The Daily Bird, named after his two daughters Dayle and Birdie, on April 3, 2021. Originally it was just a pop-up, running out of the front window at Centro Cafe, setting up and breaking down their entire setup daily.  

Zwart recalls his days beginning at 4:30 a.m. and working for 16 hours almost every day.  

“Prior to this I had no experience working in a coffee shop. I really didn’t know what to expect and that’s probably for the best…because if I would have known everything, it would have been really scary going into it,” Zwart said.  

Just a few months later, on Dec. 2, 2021, through community fundraising and grants, The Daily Bird found a more permanent home at 818 E. Center St.  

The location was previously occupied by Fuel Cafe, a cornerstone business of the Riverwest neighborhood since the ‘90s, which closed in 2020 due to the pandemic.  

Zwart acknowledges the emotional attachment folks in the neighborhood had to Fuel, and that what he has created in the building is unique and strikingly different from the business that popularized the location. Some people were offended by the change, especially the bright yellow interior that stands out from the rest of the street, which Zwart received negative Facebook comments and even an “old school Fuel postcard” about.  

“If you do anything in the public eye you’re going to catch hate…But it really hurt my feelings because I poured myself into this place. I didn’t hire an interior decorator or anything, everything you see is mostly because I chose to do it that way,” said Zwart.  

Zwart was partially inspired by the Riverwest 24, a 24-hour annual bike race that began in 2007.  

 “It’s one of the most beautiful showings of community that I’ve ever seen my whole life,” said Zwart.  

Zwart aimed to create a radically positive environment and brand, with uplifting messages posted every day on their Instagram for over a year and similar messages across the shop. 

“The Daily Bird has proven itself to be a catalyst for positivity and community with Riverwest,” said Mahan-Cotter. 

 Across the top of an ice cream cooler are an assortment of local business cards, on bulletin boards there are nearby happenings and community resources, figurines and trinkets from customers line a ledge, and at the end of the coffee bar, proudly displayed, there is something rarely ever seen in coffee shops: Narcan, and other harm-reduction supplies.  

“I’m tired of people dying from, you know, a preventable death,” said Zwart. 

He shared that he is in recovery from drugs and alcohol himself, has two dead brothers that have both overdosed and countless dead friends.  

Considering the hate The Daily Bird received for something as simple as the color paint they chose, surprisingly, Zwart says they have received minimal hate about their Narcan trainings.  

January of 2022 was their first training, which Zwart said he almost cancelled due to the rise of the Omicron strain of the coronavirus, which had already influenced the shop to have no seating and to-go only.  

But that morning someone overdosed in The Daily Bird bathroom, and the staff, including Zwart, were able to save their life with Narcan: 

“We had changed the doorknobs on the bathroom for that purpose. So, I had keys and am able to get in there…I wouldn’t have heard the kid falling off the toilet if we had had seating in here…So yeah I heard him fall off and we were able to zap him back,”. 

This moment further emphasized to Zwart the need for these trainings, and The Daily Bird has held them ever since. Now, The Daily Bird has partnered with Vivent Health to hold a training the first Wednesday of each month from 6-6:30pm, still in the coffee shop, at 818 E. Center St.  

Zwart says the most surprising thing about this journey is that people want to come to The Daily Bird: 

“I’ll come in and like the place is full and everyone looks happy and there’s nice music playing…it’s weird to like have an idea and actually see it come to life,”.  

For Halloween, a regular dressed as the Daily Bird in a bright yellow dress adorned with a drawing that appears around the cafe, some of the messages found on the walls, and a picture of Narcan.  

Zwart recalled a day shortly after he opened The Daily Bird, when he took the day off to ride bikes with his children. As they were heading back, they made their way onto Center Street and Zwart saw people all down the street in front of The Daily Bird, smiling and chatting with each other.  

“Some days it makes me emotional…I get emotional thinking about stuff like this,” Zwart said as his eyes became wet, and his voice cracked a little.  

The Daily Bird is open 7 days a week and has plans this summer for pop-ups at Rose Fest and a block party hosted by MKE Outdoor Indoor Exchange. Zwart wants everyone to know that The Daily Bird has Narcan, fentanyl and xylazine test strips available for free, and if you’re looking for resources, he’s open to help.