Calling all coffee-hounds: R-café is now open, serving coffee, espresso, pastries, sandwiches and more as part of R-space, an artists’ and merchants’ cooperative located at 1704 S. Broadway in Soulard. A grand opening is scheduled for April 25.
Patrick Reiner, who co-founded R-space with Mei Yang, sees the project as a sanctuary for artists, designers and other creative types plugged into the Soulard community. “We feel Soulard already has a strong local arts scene. Instead of using art from elsewhere in the country, we have a lot of talent right here. The cafe is an extension of that,” he said.
Yang, an avid foodie and experienced home cook, will be behind the counter brewing coffee, pulling espresso shots and making the edibles in house. Looking to keep its footprint local, R-café will source its coffee beans from St. Louis roaster Chauvin Coffee Company.
The space is generous, seating 20 to 30 inside and 25 on the patio. Adhering to R-space’s architectural aesthetic, the cafe sports elegant, mid-century furniture for those looking to lounge in style. Reiner also has plans to host evening events at the cafe, including a continuing education course for architects and designers, a board game night and an open mic night. Exact dates for these, however, aren’t set yet. “We want to bring in traffic by having these events – bring people in and support our local artists,” Reiner said.
R-café is open Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
This article appears in April 2014.