What started as a three-year business plan has led Carla Reid to owning Black Dog Cafe – Tallahassee’s longest-standing independent coffee house – for the last 27 years.
Tallahassee has witnessed what I’ve dubbed a “caffeine craze,” with new java shops popping up all the time.
If it’s not a chicken joint, it’s typically a coffee shop that I am writing about, noting all their unique components with hopes of standing out from the rest.
But the Black Dog, nestled in the back of the American Legion Hall building at Lake Ella, has withstood the test of time.
Recognized as one of only a few coffee shops in the city before a spew of powerhouse chains arrived, the local shop that opened in 1997 had its first brush with fame a couple of years after opening.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush, who was first inaugurated in 1999, complained to an out-of-town newspaper that the one thing he regretted about moving to the capital was the “lack of good java,” as reported then in the Democrat.
Gently reminding the new governor from Miami of its presence and bragging that they have coffee just as good as anyone, Reid challenged him to come try a cup of joe. The governor took her up on the offer one Friday morning – though he didn’t become a regular.
But a cast of characters over the years did, and Reid credits the community she’s been able to create during the shop’s tenure as the real fuel of the operation.
“I wanted a place where people could come and kind of like ‘Cheers,’ ‘where everybody knows your name,’ ” Reid said in an interview during a busy afternoon service. “Basically, a coffee shop and place where you could go have a cup of coffee, have a conversation, play a game of chess, write your book, read the paper.”
And that’s exactly what she’s created: A haven many people feel offers a homey touch. Friendly conversations punctuated by giggles, sounds of computer keys being tapped, and tunes sung by staff members add liveliness to the space.
Lamps on wooden tables add a warm tone to the room as sunlight peeks through the windows lining one side of the shop. Artwork covering the walls are gifts or belong to local patrons.
Reid said her desperation to provide for her child then on the way, a love and awe of Lake Ella’s scenery and a desire to have a place to sit down after a long walk with her cocker spaniel Phaedrus, the ‘black dog’ of the name, were all key components that formed the café into what it is now.
The Florida State alum, originally from Sumter County, relocated from Chicago back to Tallahassee to start the shop.
Reid found that she was “good at serving people,” and combined different aspects of her experience working as a bartender and cocktail waitress, even her stint working as an editorial assistant at the Tallahassee Democrat and teaching classes at Purdue University and Florida State.
“I used to go to a little coffee shop when I was teaching at Purdue and it felt like a little pub, but it was coffee and I thought, ‘I could do that,’ ” she said.
As Reid learns more about herself and her capabilities, from fixing coffee machines to sanding floors, you can see her work – and the accumulation of the decades. “It’s kind of like your grandma’s house. It gets more and more clutter,” Reid said.
It hasn’t always been that way. In the early days, thin Walmart sheets once served as curtains while another set of sheets with Black Dog Cafe stamps served as tablecloths. The menu started with only a handful of brews and Italian sodas to choose from.
“It has evolved tremendously over time,” Reid said. Then again, coffee shops in general have changed over time.
Evolving with the times
Before building out the deck that looks onto the neighboring lake, the shop typically would have “hippies” or graduate students as regular customers. After the pandemic, Reid says a wave of college students became new regulars.
It was primarily college students who would frequent Reid’s Railroad Square location under the same name, before it changed hands to Square Mug, which shuttered in December. There was also a brief stint operating a coffee cart in the lobby of the county’s main library in downtown Tallahassee.
Witnessing coffee shops shift into office spaces has been an adjustment for Reid, however, because that wasn’t what she envisioned for the shop. She admits it took a while for her to grasp the new demands of the COVID and post-COVID era, including making sure there were enough outlets for everyone’s devices.
What hasn’t changed are the candid conversations and interactions she and her staff have with regulars or with old friends stopping in. Those are the special little moments she believes make the shop stand out from the competition.
“I feel like, as long as we continue doing what we’re doing, we’ll always have a place,” Reid said.
If you go
When: 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Monday-Friday; 8 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
Where: 229 Lake Ella Drive.
What’s on the menu?
You can always count on grabbing a coffee or tea for a couple of dollars, but the “fancy drinks” section of the menu, which features seasonal or daily combinations, keeps it vibrant. From the “Island Getaway,” a strawberry and coconut matcha drink, to the “Peace Retreat,” a coffee drink made with pistachio, cinnamon and white chocolate, there is a generous range of options to choose from.
Freshly baked goods that sit on display cases by the register are enticing. I couldn’t help but grab a slice of the fluffy blueberry pound cake on my way out.
Kombucha, which has an acquired taste, is on the menu as well. If you’re as picky as me, Reid’s recommendation of ginger beer is a worthy substitute, of which I will be back to enjoy a second glass. Teas, lemonades, Italian sodas and more are also available.
Kyla A Sanford covers dining and entertainment for the Tallahassee Democrat. New restaurants opening up, special deals, or events coming up? Let me know at [email protected]. You can also email your suggestions for a future TLH Eats restaurant profile.
Black Dog Café stands test of time amid ‘caffeine craze’ #Black #Dog #Café #stands #test #time #caffeine #craze
Source Link: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/2024/07/29/tlh-eats-black-dog-cafe-stands-test-of-time-amid-caffeine-craze/74407696007/
WP8, Black, Cafe, caffeine, craze, Dog, stands, Test, time – Black Dog Café stands test of time amid ‘caffeine craze’ – #WP8
What started as a three-year business plan has led Carla Reid to owning Black Dog Cafe – Tallahassee’s longest-standing independent coffee house – for the last 27 years. Tallahassee has witnessed what I’ve dubbed a “caffeine craze,” with new java shops popping up all the time. If it’s not a chicken joint, it’s typically a …
