{The new counter at Kaldi’s at Farrell, opening July 1 at Washington University’s School of Medicine}
It’s a good time to be a caffeine addict. Coffee’s third wave has increased options for the coffee-savvy. But the wave isn’t receding, as four local coffee businesses are keeping the scene buzzing.
Art House Coffees in Maplewood is filled to the brim with new developments. The micro-roaster, currently located at 3111 Sutton Ave., is moving down the street to a larger space at 2808 Sutton Ave. The relocation will allow it to add a cafe component. The 12-seat cafe, Living Room, will offer single-origin brews, as well as bottles and growlers of concentrated cold-press coffee. Food will feature breads, cookies, homemade crackers with dips, and other light noshes by baker Nate Larson, son of Art House Coffee owner Barry Larson. Nate Larson anticipates Living Room to open in late September or early October.
But Art House is on the go in more ways than one. The company will soon roll out a custom-designed coffee cart to bring to area farmers markets that will offer espresso coffee drinks and cold-press coffee. Look for Art House’s pushcart at the Schlafly, Clayton, Webster Groves and Wildwood Farmers Markets within the next two weeks.
Going mobile
If chefs can do pop-ups, so can baristas. That’s the mindset of Paul Nahrgang and Tim Drescher, who shared news with St. Louis Magazine last week that they are launching nomadic coffee company, Wayfarer Coffee Co.
Nahrgang left his barista post at VB Chocolate Bar to join forces with Drescher, owner of Kuva coffee. “We’ve been friends for a while,” Nahrgang said. “(Drescher) comes from the second-wave coffee era. I started in this whole third-wave movement. We started talking about opening a truck, a cart, a kiosk. How cool would it be to have a completely mobile coffee shop?”
As a roaster, Nahrgang said Wayfarer will focus on single-origin beans and light roasts. Brews will include iced coffee and experimental items depending on coffee and brewing methods. Wayfarer will remain separate from Drescher’s Kuva brand.
Where will Wayfarer wander? “We are open to just about anything,” Nahrgang said. “We’ve been in talks with Atomic Cowboy about a coffee cocktail hour. Lulu’s Local Eatery … Purple Martin – basically anybody willing to bring us in and try to do something different.”
Although Wayfarer has already made appearances at special events and at area farmers markets, Nahrgagn and Drescher are planning a two- to three-week grand opening tour in August.
Lucky No. 13
Can’t wait until August to get caffeinated? Kaldi’s Coffee recently announced on its blog that its newest location, Kaldi’s at Farrell, opens tomorrow, July 1, in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center on Washington University’s School of Medicine campus. The coffee shop, located at 520 S. Euclid Ave., in the Central West End, is the sixth Kaldi’s in St. Louis and its 13th overall.
Kaldi’s at Farrell will be open Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to the public. Marketing director Chris Reimer said Kaldi’s couldn’t pass up a chance to takeover the spot after the previous cafe, which served Kaldi’s coffee, closed. “There are so many coffee drinkers in the area, and the foot traffic there is tremendous,” he said. “It was a great opportunity to be in a high density area.”
In additional to the full coffee menu and pastries baked on-site, Kaldi’s at Farrell will also serve an entirely vegetarian breakfast and lunch menu like its sister location on DeMun Avenue in Clayton. “Considering it’s our medical school campus … we wanted to offer a pretty healthy menu,” Reimer said.
Bridging the gap Another local roaster will also see expansion soon; Chronicle Coffee is opening a second location at 501 N. Grand Blvd., in Grand Center, as reported by the St. Louis Business Journal. Owner Jason Wilson, who also owns Northwest Coffee, said he hopes the new location will both encourage more people to visit Grand Center and urge people to go north of Delmar Boulevard to check out Chronicle’s original location at 1235 Blumeyer St., just off Grand Boulevard.
“I want entice folks to go over to the old location,” Wilson said. “Chronicle will be the pillar between Olive and Grand and Page and Grand,” adding that he hoped the new location would encourage more business development north of Delmar Boulevard.
Wilson expects the Grand Center location to seat 55 to 60 and said it will have a more “communal, urban, city setting.” Customers will be able to order from the full Chronicle coffee menu, as well as partake in wine and an slightly expanded food menu. Wilson hopes to open doors at the new location by late August or mid-September.
Catherine Klene contributed to this report.
This article appears in June 2014.