Boulder
Coffee Company: A Cozy Cool Place to Be
Story
by Mike Fleche
How
can a guy walk into an empty Avon office and envision a coffee bar?
“It's
a gift,” said Lyjha Wilton , newest Wedge entrepreneur.
“I can walk into a property and envision it all these different ways.”
His business, the Boulder Coffee Company , opened
July 11 at the corner of South Clinton and Alexander Street.
“My
excitement level is peaking,” he said the week before he opened. “It's
been building up since February. I can't want for people to see what we've
been making here.”
When
he bought the building in January, the area was vacant. He had a for-rent
sign up for a while. But the vision of a coffee bar was percolating in
his head.
“I
had in my head that this was the perfect tenant for this location,” Lyjha
said. “I even pitched it to a few people.” But there were no takers.
Then
he saw an ad in the paper for some used coffee-shop equipment—and ended
up buying it. “That was the kick to get it started,” he said.
“I
realized I was never going to find someone who would do it the way I wanted
it done—the way I envisioned it. So I decided if it was going to happen,
I was going to do it myself. “ Five months of remodeling followed.
The
interior has been radically changed. Two dropped ceilings were removed
to expose the rafters, which were painted black. Interior walls came down
to show ancient brick and pipes. “There's almost an industrial feel with
the exposed electric conduits,” Lyjha said with contagious enthusiasm.
The
bar, made of poured concrete, wraps around to the right as you come in
the door. Behind the bar sits an antique double-headed coffee grinder,
like the grocery store models of the 50s and 60s. Checkerboard floor tiles
lend a classic look.
In
the rear of the shop, a collection of mismatched overstuffed furniture
invites lounging.
“I
love the retro look, with the velvet and different textures,” he said.
“It's a perfect fit.”
The
eclectic look is deliberate. “The South Wedge is a very diverse neighborhood,”
said Lyjha.”I want this place to reflect that diversity in every way.”
To
the left of the door, café tables are grouped around a raised stage
under the big picture window. To the left of the window stands an antique
upright piano. He's planning to have a bunch of different events—“Open-mike
nights, poetry nights, having local musicians come and play,” he said.
The
back door leads to an outdoor patio of poured concrete—and Lyjha starts
envisioning again. “I envision a garden with hostas, and a table where
people can sit outside and enjoy the sun while they work on their laptops,”
he said.
The
goal is comfort and versatility. “ I really want this to be a place where
all different types of artists can feel comfortable,” said Lyjha—“musicians
to make music, painters to display their art, poets to read.”
The
shop will offer 6-8 kinds of coffee every day, and of course biscotti
and baked goods to have with your coffee. “We'll have lots of different
desserts,” he promised. “I wanted to support a lot of local bakeshops.”
For the caffeine-challenged, there is also a menu of whole fruit smoothies.
He
believes the coffee shop will fill a need. “It's something a lot of people
in this neighborhood are itching for,” he said. And he wants to maintain
a casual atmosphere. “I want the people who live around here to feel this
is an extension of their living room,” he said. “I want everyone who comes
in to feel this is their comfortable place to be.”
Lyjha
is originally from the little town of Lowville (pronounced like the ou
in loud ) in the Adirondacks, where his family still lives.
His uncle owned a sawmill, and donated lumber that Lyjha cut and polished
to use for the stage.
He
came to Rochester five years ago, and bought his first house on Alexander
St. two years later. Then he bought the house next door—a dilapidated,
run down drug house, and started fixing it up.
“I
noticed—this is contagious!” he said. “The mentality of the neighborhood
changes. One person planting flowers can change a whole neighborhood.”
It's
that vision thing again. “That's what I see in the South Wedge,” he says.
“It think the South Wedge is going to keep going up and up.”
The
company name has a dual association. When they started refurbishing the
basement, they found a lot of huge irregular boulders—and the Boulder
Coffee Company was born. “I think the name should have some kind of connection
to the space,” Lyjha explained.
Then
there's the idea of that Rocky Mountain city. “The aura of Boulder Colorado
is something I want to pass on to people—a real cozy cool place to be.”
Boulder
Coffee Company , 100 Alexander St.
Telephone 454-7140. Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri. 6 a.m.- 1
a.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-1 a.m. |
