My new baby has arrived and is in her new home

[lovebenton0]

Phaelon, the coffee house look warm and rich with the marble counters, terazzo floors and wood furniture. Makes me wish I had a reason to visit Syracuse again -- soon. Keep us posted on the availability of coffee.

[phaelon56]

I cetainly hope the appeal will give any eGulleteers who may pass through the area a good excuse to linger for a coffee or an espresso

A quick initial overview of Gustav Stickley and the Arts & Crafts Movement

Lots of good info there.

In response to the smoking question.... NY state enacted a law nearly two years ago that prohibits smoking in all public places including shopping malls, restaurants, bars (taverns) and coffeehouses. There are a few exceptions such as "cigar bars" and some bars have heated outdoor smoking areas but cigarette smoke and odors in dining and drinks establishments are now just a distant memory. I've become so accustomed to the change that it's a bit startling to visit other states where smoking is still the norm in public places.

The cafe owner in this case is already very health conscious and used to onw a small chain of natural food/produce stores in Anchorage Alaska. Even if it were not the law she would not allow smoking in the indoor areas.

[Toliver]

I've become so accustomed to the change that it's a bit startling to visit other states where smoking is still the norm in public places.

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I agree completely. I had to train some personnel up in Oregon a couple years ago and was astounded to find they smoked everywhere. Eating out was a horrible experience because even in the "non-smoking" sections you could still smell it. They've since instituted smoking laws there.

That being said, do you have a picture of the font/signage you will be using? I work with fonts daily and I'm interested in seeing what you have.

[phaelon56]

do you have a picture of the font/signage you will be using?

I'll try to snap a pic or two tonight when I do the water filter install for the Fetco coffee brewer. The font was quite a revelation to those of us who saw it and have an appreciation for such things (from an amateur's aesthetic standpoint). It may be old hat for you but it's totally appropriate given the decor and I have yet to see anyone else in the area using it.

It doesn't look like any of the other Arts and Crafts influenced fonts I've seen including a few of the older ones that were used for display signage (I have a couple fairly old paperback books of showcard lettering and fonts for outdoor signage - always fascinating to browse through).

[phaelon56]

Signage - this is on Coroplast board and was intended to be temporary until we got the big blackboard up but the owner really likes this and may get permanent signage using the same font.

This doesn't really look like the P22 Roycroft influenced face that Type Foundry has nor does it closely resemble the Chelsea that Scriptorium has. Any idea what it is?

Letters

Numbers

Proposed exterior signage (font now updated to match the above font)

The front of the building is not really green - it's a cinder block structure painted with the referenced Pantone purple on the sides and has a limestone facing on the front (small natural/rough cut pieces comprise the facade). It's a trifle undistinguished but pleasant enough on the exterior.

[alacarte]

It's just beautiful. I have always had a soft spot for Arts & Crafts style, Stickley, Frank Lloyd Wright, etc., etc., etc. It's taking a tremendous amount of self-restraint not to gush over how lovely the space looks.

If I lived nearby, I would come to your cafe EVERY DAY for a double iced cafe mocha. Sheesh, I may have to find an excuse to come upstate. Come to think of it, mr. alacarte has been angling for a trip to Cooperstown.

[phaelon56]

There's one more crucial detail - stained and clear leaded glass windows that will cover the front windows. One of the co-owners is a full time glass artisan and is nearly finished with a set of window inserts. I'll post pics once they're installed.

[Toliver]

There's one more crucial detail - stained and clear leaded glass windows that will cover the front windows. One of the co-owners is a full time glass artisan and is nearly finished with a set of window inserts. I'll post pics once they're installed.

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Stained glass is very Frank Lloyd Wright and that font is also very Frank Lloyd Wright. It doesn't look like a "normal" font, though, and might be a freebie font that's floating around the web. When I have the time I'll do some some perusing on different sites to see what I can find.

I look forward to seeing the windows!

[phaelon56]

I'm stoked about the windows. Wooden mullions are being installed that will hold the inserts in place and the inserts will be the full height of the windows. Haven't seen them yet but they're said to be geometric with a vertical orientation to the design - mostly antique style leaded glass with some colored accents. The artisan described the design as "Prairie School influenced' so I think the FL Wright connection that you presume is correct.

We open on Halloween Sunday.

Edited to change"horizontal" to "vertical" for accuracy

Edited October 27, 2004 by phaelon56 (log)

[Toliver]

Signage - this is on Coroplast board and was intended to be temporary until we got the big blackboard up but the owner really likes this and may get permanent signage using the same font.

This doesn't really look like the P22 Roycroft influenced face that Type Foundry has nor does it closely resemble the Chelsea  that Scriptorium has.  Any idea what it is?

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You were correct with your earlier comment about "arts and crafts". The font in the signage is a not-for-free font called "Arts And Crafts JY" which, in turn, is based upon another font called "Arts And Crafts-GS". Looks like they are identical except for a special character or two. The second font costs less.

It would be cool to have it on your own computer system so you could crank out your own business-related materials in the same font.

Interesting that one of it's classification categories is "art nouveau" because it looks more "deco" than "nouveau", IMHO.

[phaelon56]

The windows are in. We're all pleased.... very pleased. John Dobbs, one of the cafe owners, is a full time glass artisan who does stained glass restoration, leaded glass fabrication and glass sculpture. Due to the need for exact alignment of the twelve separate panels used to create this design, there was a tremendous amount of precision need in layout and fabrication.

IMHO the results of his efforts were well worth it. The windows really define the space, pull together some of the other design elements and also create a distinct sense of separation from the street traffic that is so close by (and plenty of it - about 30,000 cars per day pass by these windows).

Private party was held to day as a grand opening and doors are open to the public tomorrow morning (Nov 1). The party was a huge success - very busy all day and people seemed to linger far longer than one might expect at such an event. The warm and inviting nature of the space seems to encourage that - it bodes well for business.

I roasted some special coffee for the opening - Wallenford Estates Jamaica Blue Mountain and Greenwell Farms Kona Extra Fancy.

All is well

[melkor]

Looks great. I can't wait to see it in person.

[fou de Bassan]

Those windows are just gorgeous! I love the slightly wavy glass, it seems to give an added texture to the view. Congratulations!

[Bond Girl]

Owne, congrats on the new baby! Keep ther pictures coming.

[andiesenji]

This is one of the Art Nouveau fonts often used for posters and for book titles -

You can see it on this sitesee #4.

The books of Aubrey Beardsley used this type for titles.

[bainesy]

Sorry to bang on about the font (I thought I was a coffeegeek...) but it's closely-based on the artwork of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. This CD looks interesting, especially if you wanted to produce further stationery etc along the same lines.

Owen, the cafe looks fantastic: from the LM to the furniture to the windows to, yes, the font, and I can only wish for somewhere similar in the UK.

bainesy

[phaelon56]

Yes... I was aware of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh conenction. Those of us in this area with even a passing or casual interest int he Arts & Crafts Movement are

well familiar with many of those names, as Syracuse and the surround area were once a hotbed of the movement. The Queen Anne style Victorian house where Gustav Stickley lived is still in my old neighborhood (but he didn't build it and there's nothing particularly remarkable about the interior).

The graphic artist/designer who has worked on our signage and forms inthe past has the font and will be continuing to provide us with collateral materials as needed, all of which will be consistent in style.

Interesting note on the furniture - the Stickley company historian was one of our guests yesterday. The style of these chairs is one that dates back to the days when Gustav Stickley still owned the company and had his workshops locally. It hasn't been produced commercially since those days but a few demo pieces were built for the local showroom a few years back. Until we (my employers) committed to buying a quantity of pieces for the cafe they had not had the reason or opportunity to actually build any for sale. Encouraging news is that fact that the finish, a wax/oil composite called "32 Onondaga", is very durable and all we need to clean the surfaces is soft cotton rags (e.g. painters rags or old t-shirts) and distilled water.

Tomorrow morning at 6 AM I begin my career as a professonal barista (just four mornings a week from 6 AM to 9 AM - can't afford to give up the day job).

[bainesy]

Hehe - hope that didn't come across as patronising Owen. Syracuse looks fascinating, and I guess residents there know a damn-sight more about Arts and Crafts than most. It looks like my kind of place.

Best wishes for tomorrow. That's some way to start a working day - three hours as a barista (at least you'll have the best possible coffee on hand to keep you awake...)

Cheers

bainesy

[Toliver]

Owen,

Congratulations on your opening! I hope it's a big success.

The windows are gorgeous! Thanks for posting the pictures. The "frosted" glass is a very nice touch, too, providing light and privacy at the same time. Your customers won't feel as if they are in a fishbowl sitting at the window.

Eventually, I hope you will have a small sign posted somewhere letting the patrons know about the furniture and it's interesting history, as well as about the stained glass and the artist who created it. But then I am an "info-geek" and love reading about that kind of stuff while I am sipping some fine java.

I can't remember if you mentioned this but will you be offering baked goods, too (biscotti, bagels, etc) If so, will they be outsourced or made on-site?

[andiesenji]

I want to add my vote to how great the place looks. I have an artist friend who lives in Woodstock and has a sister in DeWitt that she visits at least once a month.

I sent her an email about your place. She is a devotee of the Arts & Crafts movement and has collected a fair amount of furniture and accessories over the years. She is also an avid coffee "collector." Whenever she comes to California to visit she is armed with a list of coffee/espresso places she has to visit.

I have three Stickley pieces, dining table, desk and armchair, all purchased when MGM had their huge auction years ago and cleaned out the barns and warehouses where much of the furniture had been stored since the 20s and 30s. Sadly, the chairs that went with the dining table had been stored in a loft that was damaged in a fire sometime in the early 60s.

(I bought a lot of furniture at that auction, mostly art deco, at extremely reasonable prices.)

Nothing has been done to the Stickley pieces except cleaning and oiling.

Edited November 1, 2004 by andiesenji (log)

[tryska]

hey! fayetteville is my hometown, sorta. (i'm really a manlius girl). whereabouts is it exactly? I can't tell through the beautiful stained glass.

congrats phaelon! and yay stickley!

[phaelon56]

hope that didn't come across as patronizing Owen. Syracuse looks fascinating, and I guess residents there know a damn-sight more about Arts and Crafts than most. It looks like my kind of place.

No offense taken and you really didn't come across that way. I suspect that it's mostly just the people in my limited circle of acquaintances who are actually cognizant of it (the A&C Movement).

It does get a bit more press here as the local newspaper periodically has pieces about one aspect or another of the local historical context, our county historical museum occasionally runs a Stickley related exhibit and the local art museum also has a permanent gallery section devoted to Stickley and other practitioners of the movement.

As for Syracuse being your kind of place.... the people are very nice but the weather is not nearly as bright, cheery and sunny as England (I do not say that in jest and we also get an average of about 150" of snow per year just to make up for the lack of sun )

I have an artist friend who lives in Woodstock and has a sister in DeWitt that she visits at least once a month.....

Nothing has been done to the Stickley pieces except cleaning and oiling.

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By all means encourage your friend's sister to come and visit when she's in town! We're st the corner of Limestone Drive and East gGenesee Street (Rte 5), on the left as you're heading up the hill into the village proper.

She's probably already visited Dalton's American Decorative Arts. Nice store.... a bit pricey for my wallet until I become a coffee mogul

As for the Stickley pieces.... cleaning and oiling is all they should ever get.

I remain curious to see how and whether the nature of the setting encourages longer times in the shop for the average visitor (I'm hoping it will).

will you be offering baked goods, too (biscotti, bagels, etc) If so, will they be outsourced or made on-site?

Cookies, scones, bagels. muffins and the like will all be available. With the exception of the bagels (which come from the nearby Wegman's grocery and are as good as you can get in this town) all the baked goods are sourced from Pascale's Bake House.

We have built out the space for a full size pastry kitchen and our building also came equipped with a very old but functional walk-in freezer (it has a solid oak door and wooden walls if that offers some perspective on the age). Phase II of developing this location includes bringing the pastry kitchen on-line and producing all of our own baked goods on site. One of the owners and the person who is a prospect to work as the pastry chef both have backgrounds that will lend themselves to an interesting market focus. In addition to producing conventional pastries and baked goods we will offer:

- high end/artisan style vegan cakes and pastries

- baked goods for the Jewish holy days that adhere to the required dietary laws for such items. Syracuse does not have a large Orthodox population but, as is the case in many places, even relatively non-observant Jews respect such customs at the appropriate time of year.

Edited to address Tryska's question

whereabouts is it exactly? I can't tell through the beautiful stained glass.

You're definitely too young to have gone drinking at "The Chalet" and may or may not recall a bar in the same spot called "The Dandelion". It's now called JP Mulligans. We're two doors east of that right where Limstone Drive veers off to the left at the foot of the bridge where Rte 5 crosses over Limestone Creek.

Our space was once upon a time home to Stanton's Grocery and Meat market but more recently as the Hidy Ochai (sp?) Karate Studio.

[Hiroyuki]

We'll have an educated clientele with plenty of discretionary income and we'll also have the space to start introducing things like seminars, cuppings or other educationally related initiatives.

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I'm still interested in this particular comment of yours. Do you have anthing to add about this (seminars and so on) at this point?

[phaelon56]

We'll have an educated clientele with plenty of discretionary income and we'll also have the space to start introducing things like seminars, cuppings or other educationally related initiatives.

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I'm still interested in this particular comment of yours. Do you have anthing to add about this (seminars and so on) at this point?

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It's too soon. We just opened yesterday and I worked my first mornign shift today (which was fun - it's been many years since I've worked in any capactiy where I deal with the public and I love the contact with people).

I think we'll reserve activities such as that (cuppings and the like) for Phase II - at leats several months out.

At the moment the focus is on getting any operational kinks worked out and ramping up the staffing to cover the increasing volume. It's been relatively quiet thus far but we already have people in nearby office and medical complexes asking for drink and pastry menus to be faxed over. I'm guessing that Saturday's will be busy right away but we have a few days left to determine that

Lots of people asking for food menus but we're not planning on anything other than pastries and baked goods.

[tryska]

Edited to address Tryska's question

whereabouts is it exactly? I can't tell through the beautiful stained glass.

You're definitely too young to have gone drinking at "The Chalet" and may or may not recall a bar in the same spot called "The Dandelion". It's now called JP Mulligans. We're two doors east of that right where Limstone Drive veers off to the left at the foot of the bridge where Rte 5 crosses over Limestone Creek.

Our space was once upon a time home to Stanton's Grocery and Meat market but more recently as the Hidy Ochai (sp?) Karate Studio.

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I know exactly where that is! next time my brothe ris up there on leave, i'll have to tell him to come visit you. Congrats again, it's a beautiful space.