After the quality of coffee, or quite possibly equal to it, the ambience and surroundings of a coffee shop are priority. Such surroundings are what makes one go out and seek a cup of coffee instead of just doing so at home.
The Raven is like the Los Angeles of Blade Runner. It is crowded and there is a lot to see but damn it if it isn’t a lot of great stuff to see. Books are everywhere, esoteric pop culture posters adorn the walls, and other ephemera are scattered. The lighting is low and the music is (usually) just right. The place started off like that and it has only grown over time.
The Bean and Brew on the other hand was barren. The walls were dark, the lighting was nearly non-existent. I imagine if Axl Rose ever decided to open a coffeehouse it would look an awful lot like the Bean and Brew. I wish there was more to describe but I can’t elaborate on nothingness.
The clientele at each shop also varied to the extremes. While I may not like a lot of people at either place chances were that I would find a kindred sprit at the Raven. The Bean and Brew on the other hand would be a place of silence. I remember going there years ago to meet up with some people to film a scene in a movie. Nobody knew each other at the Bean and Brew but when it was found out that everyone there at that moment was all there to film that scene it spoke volumes of the awkward nature of the place. Nobody was open there. Nobody shared and nobody connected.
But if there was something the Bean and Brew had was the upstairs. Off-limits to everyone except if a band was playing, I was privileged to be able to go up there a few times.
The place was amazing. There was junk all over the place. Broken glass was on the floor. The windows were huge and stylized. I was able to go up there back when RJ and Matt were playing there on a weekly basis. I filmed them up there playing some tunes, writing, and chatting. That was the atmosphere that the place should have had. It was like a haunted house that I could roam around in safely.
Probably the last time that RJ and Matt played at the Bean and Brew I tried to go upstairs. I was stopped by the owner. Even though I was permitted to by the band and had done so on numerous occasions I was unable to go upstairs. At the time the owner seemed to be trying his best to make sure that any greatness that his place achieved over time was sucked dry as fast as possible.
That was the last time I willingly went there. That day, a lot of people stopped going.
Why? Come back tomorrow. I promise.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Chapter 22: The Coffee Shop Wars of 2002-2007
I am back from the hiatus. Let's rock!
***
In early fall 2002 the second issue of the ESG featured a cover story on the sneak opening of the Raven Coffeehouse. It would not officially open for another 2 months or so but this was the culmination of about 10 years of renovations. The Raven itself is deserving of an epic and that will come in time.
Meanwhile, another shop just a half mile or so north on Military street was brewing (pun intended) for about 5 years. The Bean and Brew was off Military and on Quay street. It was a smaller place than the Raven but pretty much tried to do the same thing as the Raven. It opened a little under a year after the Raven in the latter part of 2003. In my observations it started off slow and only tapered off from there.
To compare the two using X-Men references, if the Raven was Juggernaut then the Bean and Brew was surely a crippled Morlock fighting the flu.
I was at the Raven quite a bit during the first year and a half of its operation. And since I've always been about revitalizing downtown Port Huron I gave the Bean and Brew a go a few times. Never once did I really like being there in a non-live music environment. Barring any problems I had with its proprietor I cannot 100% pin down why I did not like the place. But that is for another entry.
Then in early 2004 an internet cafe opened up. I never went there mainly because by the time it opened I was deep into the newspaper and any free time for such fun went on at the Raven.
So by mid-2004 there were 3 coffeehouses competing with each other.
Before the internet cafe opened I was seriously considering starting a betting pool as to how long the Bean and Brew would last. The relatively few times I even went in there I probably accounted for 33-50% of the customers there. The atmosphere wasn't too inviting and the coffee...well...wasn't exactly brewed. It was powder quickly mixed with hot water. And it was never that good of coffee either. I affectionately dubbed it the "Powder and Moisturize" thereafter and achieved a modicum of fame for it.
Probably the best thing to come out of the internet cafe was the press release that was done by someone at the Times Herald who has probably never had a cup of coffee in their lives (how you can work on a newspaper and be downing 10 pots of it a day is beyond me though). The press release, to the best of my memory, stated that you could go into the internet cafe and quench your thirst with an espresso. It doesn't take a genius to know that coffee doesn't qualify as a thirst quencher and a concentrated version of it doesn't do much better either.
The Powder and Moisturize though was something. It was just a room that had the barest minimum of lighting but a lot of seating that was ALWAYS available. I'm glad that I never did start that betting pool though as I know I would have lost a lot of money because it was an awful lot like David Spade; we try hard to make sure it stops but for some reason stays around.
The internet cafe was closed by 2005. The Bean and Brew had its final toll last year. It closed down for a little while under the pretense that it would reopen, as I understand it, as a jazz club.
Now you can walk by the former location of it and see that it is for sale or rent.
The Raven though has proven popular enough that it will (if it hasn't already) serve some alcohol.
How did it all come to this?
Stay tuned.
***
In early fall 2002 the second issue of the ESG featured a cover story on the sneak opening of the Raven Coffeehouse. It would not officially open for another 2 months or so but this was the culmination of about 10 years of renovations. The Raven itself is deserving of an epic and that will come in time.
Meanwhile, another shop just a half mile or so north on Military street was brewing (pun intended) for about 5 years. The Bean and Brew was off Military and on Quay street. It was a smaller place than the Raven but pretty much tried to do the same thing as the Raven. It opened a little under a year after the Raven in the latter part of 2003. In my observations it started off slow and only tapered off from there.
To compare the two using X-Men references, if the Raven was Juggernaut then the Bean and Brew was surely a crippled Morlock fighting the flu.
I was at the Raven quite a bit during the first year and a half of its operation. And since I've always been about revitalizing downtown Port Huron I gave the Bean and Brew a go a few times. Never once did I really like being there in a non-live music environment. Barring any problems I had with its proprietor I cannot 100% pin down why I did not like the place. But that is for another entry.
Then in early 2004 an internet cafe opened up. I never went there mainly because by the time it opened I was deep into the newspaper and any free time for such fun went on at the Raven.
So by mid-2004 there were 3 coffeehouses competing with each other.
Before the internet cafe opened I was seriously considering starting a betting pool as to how long the Bean and Brew would last. The relatively few times I even went in there I probably accounted for 33-50% of the customers there. The atmosphere wasn't too inviting and the coffee...well...wasn't exactly brewed. It was powder quickly mixed with hot water. And it was never that good of coffee either. I affectionately dubbed it the "Powder and Moisturize" thereafter and achieved a modicum of fame for it.
Probably the best thing to come out of the internet cafe was the press release that was done by someone at the Times Herald who has probably never had a cup of coffee in their lives (how you can work on a newspaper and be downing 10 pots of it a day is beyond me though). The press release, to the best of my memory, stated that you could go into the internet cafe and quench your thirst with an espresso. It doesn't take a genius to know that coffee doesn't qualify as a thirst quencher and a concentrated version of it doesn't do much better either.
The Powder and Moisturize though was something. It was just a room that had the barest minimum of lighting but a lot of seating that was ALWAYS available. I'm glad that I never did start that betting pool though as I know I would have lost a lot of money because it was an awful lot like David Spade; we try hard to make sure it stops but for some reason stays around.
The internet cafe was closed by 2005. The Bean and Brew had its final toll last year. It closed down for a little while under the pretense that it would reopen, as I understand it, as a jazz club.
Now you can walk by the former location of it and see that it is for sale or rent.
The Raven though has proven popular enough that it will (if it hasn't already) serve some alcohol.
How did it all come to this?
Stay tuned.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Chapter 21: Epilogue
Yeah, sorry about that hiatus. I had personal affairs to take care of and the blog suffered. I am now back for a little while with a little help from a friend.
Now, I put a close to the Denny's epic.
***
I remember when it finally came clear to me; I can recall that special moment of clarity after I hit rock bottom. It was so obvious; like a elephant in the room: Denny’s was an addiction.
I had gotten hooked on the every aspect of this place no matter what the cost. I used to spend all my money on greasy food and coffee and I seldom got enough sleep. Nothing seemed to matter as much as being there did. I had it: a greasy, nicotine stained monkey on my back. I guess that it started out innocently enough but soon snowballed into something far more sinister.
Just like any other addiction I had developed a tolerance over time. It started out small. I had to drink two cups of coffee to perk me up when the normal one cup would have done me fine. No big deal right? Refills are free so what’s it going to hurt? Soon I was slamming down their caffeinated mud quicker than water.
I had also developed a tolerance for other parts of the Denny‘s experience. I could now slam down cold fried cheese that would gag a sow and keep a grin on my face the whole time. Second hand smoke didn’t bother me much anymore and I couldn’t smell it nearly as often.
Then I moved away.
I found myself living in Detroit, with no 24 hour diners nearby. My friends had no interest in sipping coffee until 4 in the morning anymore, and my job really wasn’t conducive to staying out that late. My body began to go back to normal.
I remember going back there about a year ago and sitting down in a booth alone. I didn’t really know anyone else there, I just sat there and read a book quietly. After my first cup of coffee I felt my knee bounce to a rhythm only I could hear. I ordered a Moons over My Hammy thinking that it might not be the worst thing on the menu.
I sat there alone, ate my dinner and waited for someone to happen to me.
The old friends were gone, and the only dialogue I could have was with myself.
I sighed.
It was late and I could feel the bags under my eyes as I noticed that it was now midnight. It was time to leave.
I walked up to the counter and paid my bill, the cashier asked if I would be coming back anytime soon. I just chuckle to myself and left a good tip to match my excellent service.
A few hours later a felt my stomach being ripped apart by the greasy food and caffeine; my clothes stank of cigarette smoke. I just didn’t have the tolerance anymore.
***
I’m not at Denny’s much any more. There is really no way for me to do so. I live near many nightspots now and I can’t go to the Fort Gratiot Denny’s as much as I want to. It is too out of the way for me and at this point there is hardly even a handful of people that are at the Denny’s to make frequent trips worth it. That is not to say that the people I hang out with at Denny’s now isn’t worth it; rather, I can’t just make a trip up there when I know that I have many better options down here in the metro Detroit area.
What Denny’s means to me now is something more though. Over the past few years I’ve noticed many of the integral locations where I grew up have either been torn down, shut down, or drastically changed. The coffee shop where I fell in love with my ex is now an internet café. The ESG as I knew it has been replaced by the new library at SC4. These places are leaving and it does sadden me that once in a while I can’t go to the places that are valuable to me in that they were part of my evolution from the loudest shy person in the world to someone who isn’t shy enough.
But Denny’s is still around. I do not see it going anywhere. The nostalgia trip that I get when I walk in is worth it. It is in a state of arrested development and I want it kept that way. If I want to sit at a table and remember what I did at that table 6 years ago I can. If I want to be there late to get some inspiration for a crazy writing project I can do it there.
Denny’s represents some of the best of my past and it is one of the few still-operating places I can think of that I can go to. Because once in a while you have to go home.
***
Spring break is next week. I will be posting. So be here!
Now, I put a close to the Denny's epic.
***
I remember when it finally came clear to me; I can recall that special moment of clarity after I hit rock bottom. It was so obvious; like a elephant in the room: Denny’s was an addiction.
I had gotten hooked on the every aspect of this place no matter what the cost. I used to spend all my money on greasy food and coffee and I seldom got enough sleep. Nothing seemed to matter as much as being there did. I had it: a greasy, nicotine stained monkey on my back. I guess that it started out innocently enough but soon snowballed into something far more sinister.
Just like any other addiction I had developed a tolerance over time. It started out small. I had to drink two cups of coffee to perk me up when the normal one cup would have done me fine. No big deal right? Refills are free so what’s it going to hurt? Soon I was slamming down their caffeinated mud quicker than water.
I had also developed a tolerance for other parts of the Denny‘s experience. I could now slam down cold fried cheese that would gag a sow and keep a grin on my face the whole time. Second hand smoke didn’t bother me much anymore and I couldn’t smell it nearly as often.
Then I moved away.
I found myself living in Detroit, with no 24 hour diners nearby. My friends had no interest in sipping coffee until 4 in the morning anymore, and my job really wasn’t conducive to staying out that late. My body began to go back to normal.
I remember going back there about a year ago and sitting down in a booth alone. I didn’t really know anyone else there, I just sat there and read a book quietly. After my first cup of coffee I felt my knee bounce to a rhythm only I could hear. I ordered a Moons over My Hammy thinking that it might not be the worst thing on the menu.
I sat there alone, ate my dinner and waited for someone to happen to me.
The old friends were gone, and the only dialogue I could have was with myself.
I sighed.
It was late and I could feel the bags under my eyes as I noticed that it was now midnight. It was time to leave.
I walked up to the counter and paid my bill, the cashier asked if I would be coming back anytime soon. I just chuckle to myself and left a good tip to match my excellent service.
A few hours later a felt my stomach being ripped apart by the greasy food and caffeine; my clothes stank of cigarette smoke. I just didn’t have the tolerance anymore.
***
I’m not at Denny’s much any more. There is really no way for me to do so. I live near many nightspots now and I can’t go to the Fort Gratiot Denny’s as much as I want to. It is too out of the way for me and at this point there is hardly even a handful of people that are at the Denny’s to make frequent trips worth it. That is not to say that the people I hang out with at Denny’s now isn’t worth it; rather, I can’t just make a trip up there when I know that I have many better options down here in the metro Detroit area.
What Denny’s means to me now is something more though. Over the past few years I’ve noticed many of the integral locations where I grew up have either been torn down, shut down, or drastically changed. The coffee shop where I fell in love with my ex is now an internet café. The ESG as I knew it has been replaced by the new library at SC4. These places are leaving and it does sadden me that once in a while I can’t go to the places that are valuable to me in that they were part of my evolution from the loudest shy person in the world to someone who isn’t shy enough.
But Denny’s is still around. I do not see it going anywhere. The nostalgia trip that I get when I walk in is worth it. It is in a state of arrested development and I want it kept that way. If I want to sit at a table and remember what I did at that table 6 years ago I can. If I want to be there late to get some inspiration for a crazy writing project I can do it there.
Denny’s represents some of the best of my past and it is one of the few still-operating places I can think of that I can go to. Because once in a while you have to go home.
***
Spring break is next week. I will be posting. So be here!
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