Topeka Coffee finally opened to the public. They are located in the ground floor of the Mayo Hotel at the northeast corner of 5th/Cheyenne.
They have a lunch menu with seemingly typical coffee shop fare. Although to call it 'lunch menu' might be a dis-service. They seem to specialize in Crepes. There are the fruit filled crepes however they have a nice menu of meat, veggie, and cheese (probably an insulting description) filled crepes. I had a parmesian chicken crepe and it was delicious. Had not had anything like that around here. Upon first visit I would highly recommend a visit. Friendly staff and comfortable atmosphere. Very nice layout with interesting original floors (tile).
Thier hours are M-F: 6.3a - 6p.
Oh yeah, while we are at it Starbucks FINALLY opened up in the Crowne Plaza.
No more treking to Utica Square for a good cup of coffee.
Just a bit of housekeeping...
It's "Topeca" (pronounced "Toe-PAY-kah") not "Topeka".
The coffee beans come directly from the Topeca Plantation in El Salvador and they are roasted on-site at the downtown shop. Very cool place and one that I hope becomes a Tulsa icon. These people really know their coffee.
Topeca Coffee Plantation (//%22http://www.topecacoffee.com/%22)
Hezus! I'm sitting here staring at my cup with the name 'Topeca' on it and I still type Topeka. I haven't had the coffee yet so I can't compare...the crepes though...yum!
Is it only open during lunch hours? What about sat or sun?
I'm with you inteller. I was glad to hear about the Starbucks but even more pumped for a local alternative. I hear Starbucks plans to stay open till 10pm. Does anyone know if this is true? Since I'm sure it will prove to be insane to stop in before work, I'd love for one or the other to stay open past 2pm.
I just got back from there with my yummy ham and cheese crepe. It came with a side salad for $6.50.
The menu is interesting. I am going to get the Curried Chicken Salad sandwich with almond and celery next time. They have lots of sweets, from cakes to crepes and have a good selection of muffins, bagels and croissants.
I don't drink coffee, but they sure had lots of types to try. I will probably get a Chai tea next time or try their Hot White Chocolate.
They said for now they are going to be open from 6:30am to 6:00pm Monday through Friday.
Thanks for the scoop, Michael. That will give me just enough time to make it over there after work.
How's parking on that block?
As you can probably tell, I'm very concerned about the downtown coffee situation. Screw not having a grocery store... what I need is a coffee shop!
I don't think there are any meter readers in that part of downtown after about 4:45. There is usually parking on Cheyenne between fourth and fifth (on the west side of the Mayo Hotel).
The coffee prices seemed reasonable compared to StarBucks (FourBucks as I call them).
The coffee of the day was $1.75 for a small, $2.00 for a medium and $2.25 for a large. A double Expresso was $1.95, and Cappucino ran from $2.85 to $3.90.
quote:
Originally posted by Cirage
I'm with you inteller. I was glad to hear about the Starbucks but even more pumped for a local alternative. I hear Starbucks plans to stay open till 10pm. Does anyone know if this is true? Since I'm sure it will prove to be insane to stop in before work, I'd love for one or the other to stay open past 2pm.
yes it will be open until 10. this is something that can finally make -that part of town- pop at night.
Thank you for the information! Can't wait to try it.
quote:
Originally posted by recyclemichael
The coffee prices seemed reasonable compared to StarBucks (FourBucks as I call them).
(http://s3-external-1.amazonaws.com/wootsaleimages/Now_That_s_Just_Overpricedl2lStandard.jpg)
http://shirt.woot.com/friends.aspx?k=4284
quote:
Originally posted by Cirage
I'm with you inteller. I was glad to hear about the Starbucks but even more pumped for a local alternative. I hear Starbucks plans to stay open till 10pm. Does anyone know if this is true? Since I'm sure it will prove to be insane to stop in before work, I'd love for one or the other to stay open past 2pm.
If you need a coffee fix after six, the Coffee House on Cherry Street is open until 11 pm, midnight on weekends, and they serve Topeca Coffee, too. It's not downtown, but it's close.
Anyone know if the Topeca shop in the Mayo has free WiFi?
quote:
Originally posted by inteller
Oh yeah, while we are at it Starbucks FINALLY opened up in the Crowne Plaza.
No more treking to Utica Square for a good cup of coffee.
There's already good coffee at Doubleshots, 18th and Boston, Cafe Cubana, 15th and Peoria, Coffee Shop on Cherry Street, 15th and Rockford, and Gypsy, Cameron and Cincinatti.
So why would you "trek" to Utica Square for that crap?
Also, at those other shops, you money helps local people instead of corporate offices and stockholders in Seattle.
Starbucks is acceptable to drink only in the absence of good coffee, such as when at an airport.
I forgot, there's Nordaggio's at the Reasor's on 15th. Not only is there coffee among the best, they have excellent gelato as well.
quote:
Originally posted by tulsascoot
I forgot, there's Nordaggio's at the Reasor's on 15th. Not only is there coffee among the best, they have excellent gelato as well.
all your mentioned places serve very weak coffee. their concept of bold is a joke.
They have free WiFi and as for bold coffee, I think that someone may be confusing "bold" coffee with over-roasted or burnt coffee.....an un-attractive side effect of mass-producing a product that takes a tremendous amount of time and energy to roast correctly.
Hello everybody!Another good news about Tulsa and small step closer to better ,vibrant downtown area.
By the way ,I am from Europe and currently live and work in Stillwater,but I love Tulsa and plan to move in the near future.To me it is like an oasis in Oklahoma.
Happy Holidays!
quote:
Originally posted by derekd
They have free WiFi and as for bold coffee, I think that someone may be confusing "bold" coffee with over-roasted or burnt coffee.....an un-attractive side effect of mass-producing a product that takes a tremendous amount of time and energy to roast correctly.
That was my thought. I have Starbucks at work, and it just tastes burned to me.
I also forgot to mention Shades of Brown.
quote:
Originally posted by tulsascoot
I also forgot to mention Shades of Brown.
Ok, I don't have anything against local coffee shops, and I've never been to SoB, but seriously. Can we come up with a more appetizing name for our coffeeshop? Naming it Shades of Brown is like calling it A Whiff of Creosote, or Rocks In My Shoes. It's just not very attractive. And I'm supposed to
want to go there. I'm not supposed to
not want to go there.
Unless they have free wifi, of course, in which case I'm a total hypocrite and will go there and happily buy a Hot Cup of Brown.
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
quote:
Originally posted by tulsascoot
I also forgot to mention Shades of Brown.
Ok, I don't have anything against local coffee shops, and I've never been to SoB, but seriously. Can we come up with a more appetizing name for our coffeeshop? Naming it Shades of Brown is like calling it A Whiff of Creosote, or Rocks In My Shoes. It's just not very attractive. And I'm supposed to want to go there. I'm not supposed to not want to go there.
Unless they have free wifi, of course, in which case I'm a total hypocrite and will go there and happily buy a Hot Cup of Brown.
Shades of Brown has good coffee, free wifi, friendly baristas, nice atmosphere, and late hours (midnight weeknights, 1 a.m. weekends).
quote:
Originally posted by MichaelBates
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
quote:
Originally posted by tulsascoot
I also forgot to mention Shades of Brown.
Unless they have free wifi, of course, in which case I'm a total hypocrite and will go there and happily buy a Hot Cup of Brown.
Shades of Brown has good coffee, free wifi, friendly baristas, nice atmosphere, and late hours (midnight weeknights, 1 a.m. weekends).
Well shoot. Color me a hypocrite then. I still think their name is a tad hinky, though.
If I were to open a coffee shop I would decorate it in a very British/collegiate atmosphere. Kind of a high-brow, gentlemans club, but do it in a purposefully over the top, casual and fun way. Hogwarts/Harry Potter meets Starbucks. It would be called...
"The Cultured Bean". [8D]
Vaulted ceilings, a gothic arched doorway, small book/magazine section, creaky wooden floors,"the creaky part is very important" and a huuuge fireplace flanked by large sofas, etc. Oh and of course great coffee and free wi-fi.
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
quote:
Originally posted by MichaelBates
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
quote:
Originally posted by tulsascoot
I also forgot to mention Shades of Brown.
Unless they have free wifi, of course, in which case I'm a total hypocrite and will go there and happily buy a Hot Cup of Brown.
Shades of Brown has good coffee, free wifi, friendly baristas, nice atmosphere, and late hours (midnight weeknights, 1 a.m. weekends).
Well shoot. Color me a hypocrite then. I still think their name is a tad hinky, though.
well, that makes you ****in gross.
quote:
Originally posted by inteller
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
quote:
Originally posted by MichaelBates
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
quote:
Originally posted by tulsascoot
I also forgot to mention Shades of Brown.
Unless they have free wifi, of course, in which case I'm a total hypocrite and will go there and happily buy a Hot Cup of Brown.
Shades of Brown has good coffee, free wifi, friendly baristas, nice atmosphere, and late hours (midnight weeknights, 1 a.m. weekends).
Well shoot. Color me a hypocrite then. I still think their name is a tad hinky, though.
well, that makes you ****in gross.
Er, gross? Perhaps I'm not following . . .
I went by Cafe de El Salvador (the real name? of the place we all apparently are calling Topeca Cafe) today and asked the staff how things were going. They said John keeps hearing back that no one knows that they are there when he's out servicing/selling the office machines, that even the people in the Arvest and OneOk had no clue. They said that there is no morning business to speak of and that the after 5 business has been unpredictable.
The staff was sad that I only wanted to buy whole beans to refill our office machine ... so I asked for a brownie to bring back to the office. The boss lady said it was sinful, but good.
I hope when the weather is more Oklahoman tolerable, people do go outside and visit the cafe. It is stunning on the inside. It is a real asset to a downtown to have a coffeehouse that isn't just a Starbucks kiosk stuck in a hotel corner.
In case someone out there can't picture what the outside might look like, here is a photo I took a couple of weeks ago before they opened, but were in the setting up stage:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v128/TSOGalFriday/2094444906_46d63a47f2.jpg)
/Topeca boosterism.
Where is it? I need a pic of the outside of the building. Addresses are meaningless to me "visual artist here" ya have to show me what the building looks like or describe it.
That is a problem, with me anyway, I hear about things going in downtown. But I never know where they are or what it looks like. The buildings all look just like they did last year, and the year before, etc. And for so many things the signs arent there or dont catch my attention. Businesses like that downtown, imo, need to advertise with a pic of the outside of the place. Then I will be like "Oooh, thaaats where that is". I am not going to write down a number, or even remember to write it down so that when I happen to be downtown I can then look at it to try and hunt the place down. Most places I do go to downtown, it took me purposely looking for it and learning where it was. Thats not going to be the best thing for a business that isnt really a big draw and is looking for the average person to just drop in. The downtown crowd may know, but those of us who dont work downtown, a business has to either be visually obvious or we have to be purposefully looking for it.
Hey if they ever finish the Mayo Hotel lofts, you can live just like the people from friends. With your very own coffee shop on the ground floor!
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/1843122319_e88b63d336.jpg?v=0)
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1055/1034859989_3b608dc230.jpg?v=0)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2127/1843115833_a579696ed9.jpg?v=0)
If you require more visuals...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/forgottentulsa/sets/72157601332334364/ (//%22If%20you%20require%20more%20visuals...%22)
Kewl, thank ya. I have been over there and of course know that building, just never saw that sign and can never get in the building.
I am writing this from Shades of Brown down on Brookside, and I'd like to confirm it is in fact a very cozy and welcoming coffee shop. Definitely enjoyable.
I'd also like to confirm that I will in fact do almost anything for free wifi, but that doesn't really have anything to do with Shades of Brown specifically. It has to do with me having loose morals and a poor self image.
That looks like a great place... I too love to see a local coffeeshop going in over Starbucks. However, I think having a Starbucks has certain merits as far as attracting other national retailers is concerned, so the idea shouldn't be discounted completely.
The Mayo is such a terribly beautiful building, so glad to see it coming back.
quote:
Originally posted by OKC_Shane
That looks like a great place... I too love to see a local coffeeshop going in over Starbucks. However, I think having a Starbucks has certain merits as far as attracting other national retailers is concerned, so the idea shouldn't be discounted completely.
The Mayo is such a terribly beautiful building, so glad to see it coming back.
Starbucks just opened downtown 5 blocks away in the Crowne Plaza hotel
quote:
Originally posted by swake
quote:
Originally posted by OKC_Shane
That looks like a great place... I too love to see a local coffeeshop going in over Starbucks. However, I think having a Starbucks has certain merits as far as attracting other national retailers is concerned, so the idea shouldn't be discounted completely.
The Mayo is such a terribly beautiful building, so glad to see it coming back.
Starbucks just opened downtown 5 blocks away in the Crowne Plaza hotel
My boss went to the new Starbucks this morning. I had been under the impression that it would be completely inside the hotel and literally a kiosk, but she said that there is an entrance door on the plaza, and that the Starbucks is sectioned so that it doesn't feel like a hotel coffee kiosk but a real store.
She pointed out that when it is a little warmer, having the Starbucks enter/exit to the plaza will mean people using the plaza as a commons instead of just a walk throughway.