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October 16, 2007
StreetLevel: At the Lyceum, Coffee But no Klatsch
There hasn’t been much buzz about El Cafetin, the coffee shop at the Brooklyn Lyceum, despite the fact that it’s been open for a few months now. The café traffics in a standard assortment of brews, espresso drinks, and snacks, and it’s outfitted with a ragtag assortment of furniture (see photo on jump). Even though the space gets great natural light and has free wi-fi, it’s often deserted after the morning crush—surprising for a stretch with a not-so-small army of freelancers and very few coffee shop options. El Cafetin’s owner says he’s looking to raise the business’s profile by offering to-be-determined classes in the coming months. Think that’s the jolt this java joint needs? GMAP
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Comments
Maybe it's the fact that it closes at 3pm? What kind of business hours are those?
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 2:33 PM
those chairs aren't terribly inviting. it looks too uncomfortable to plug in and work for a couple of hours.
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 2:35 PM
Agreed about the chairs. I would get some nice plush chairs and maybe even some mix-and-match area rugs to make the place feel warmer and cozier.
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 2:46 PM
The storefront in the picture makes me think it's only part of the Lyceum and not a walk-in coffee shop. They should make sure that people are aware that it's a coffee shop and that it functions independently of the Lyceum events. Potential clientele might not be aware of that.
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 2:53 PM
i live right around the corner and had no idea this place was there. maybe do a little advertising?!
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 3:01 PM
I agree that it is not obvious that this is a coffee shop from the outside. I've gone to see music there and had no idea that the building was even open during the day.
Posted by: Carol Gardens at October 16, 2007 3:26 PM
Ah, not so much. Hasn't this been a really lame attempt for almost ten years?
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 3:37 PM
I kind of think the whole Lyceum could do a better job with its advertising. I think it's so great that they've cleaned the place up, and it's such a great space - but it seems very mishmosh. One week it's batting cages, then a trapeeze workshop, film festival, and there's a coffee shop...It's terrific that they have so much going on, but maybe one large unified professional-looking sign (not taped to the railing) would help convey that it's a performance space (or whatever) as well as a coffee shop/cafe, as well as tell passersby what's on for the week. I think that could do a lot to raise the profile and let the neighborhood know what a cool place it is.
Posted by: hangonsloopy at October 16, 2007 3:44 PM
All of the above. Better signage, better hours, better chairs, better publicity. They're going to have to try much harder in order to draw any traffic away from Fifth Ave establishments.
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 3:56 PM
It doesn't take much imagination to see the potential of this place. Money must be the issue.
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 4:14 PM
Have they gotten the bird crap off the steps yet?
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 5:14 PM
mr. coffee shop owner. 1. go to bed bath and beyoond and buy those cute cushiony things you can tie to hard uncomfortable chairs... and seriously, put on the sign what the heck you do! i walk by there as well... had no idea what it was
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 5:40 PM
A word or two from the lyceum management...
Thanx for the info on public perception. A few notes tho...
The cafe proprietor understands the traffic flow. Large volumes of traffic 7am-11am. Very little afterwards. He is aware that the significant income to be made is from the mornings and from events. Thus the hours(for now).
The lyceum is an old bathhouse that became a gym that is now part theater/part gym. That begets some very odd activity patterns.
It also requires that the whole facility get reworked for large shows and weddings and festivals. That pretty much precludes dressing it up as the tea lounge.
I find it odd that the variety of activity bothered one commenter. We are proud of the activities. Movies, batting cages, operas, jazz, weddings, etc.
We have found that no amount of advertising will shake the passerbys out of their bee-line to the subway. Those people probably don't know or care that we have an opera with a full orchestra. They probably didn't see Amanda Palmer, Jose Gonzalez, Fiona Apple, Polyphonic Spree and Yo la Tengo. They probably wern't among the 1000+ who took tours of the building for Open House New York. They probably will miss the Wiyos record release show and the Klezmatics in November. They will probably miss Citizen Kane on friday and college football games on Saturdays.
I think you really have to work at it to pass by every day and ignore banners on the building(Batting Cage, Fidelio, New Yorker Festival, Philly Transit Authority).
We all cant have the marketing budget of the BAM.
To those of you who can slow down a moment and say hi, love to meet you. To the others....???
Sincerely,
The Brooklyn Lyceum Management
GO SOX!!
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 6:42 PM
Why would the management of the Lyceum advertise that they are Sox fans? Aren't you trying to ingratiate yourself with the community? I now hate the Lyceum. The SOX??? F-You!
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 7:00 PM
GO SOX? F-You Me Too. Go back to that backwater.
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 9:01 PM
Y'know as someone who has been to the Lyceum, I think you are being pretty defensive. The original post gave the impression that the cafe owner was looking for feedback. So people pointed out that it was unclear that there was a coffeehouse open during the day. You took the opportunity to imply that people were dumb or something. I don't care what team you root for, but why insult potential customers?
Posted by: Carol Gardens at October 16, 2007 9:15 PM
Well, guess that pretty much means El Cafetin IS NOT looking to raise its profile and attract a larger customer base. See, this is the perfect example of why so many "small" and "independent" businesses don't survive. That, and the 'tude. Plus, it also seems Lyceum mgmt is saying it NEEDS and uses the space taken up by the coffee shop for its own purposes on off-hours, and that's why the decor and atmosphere of the cafe must suffer. You can't have it both ways. Starbucks here I come...
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 9:55 PM
i live right around the corner and had no idea this place was there. maybe do a little advertising?!
LOL if you know the owner at all he is anti advertising
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 10:15 PM
anyway you slice it, starbucks is gross.
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 10:23 PM
Caribou Coffee and Peet's should make inroads in Brooklyn!
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 10:37 PM
i vote for caribou coffee also!!!
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 10:57 PM
Peet's coffee is delish.
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 11:00 PM
I don't remember much about the coffee at CC, so maybe you're right. But Peet's is really good.
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 11:19 PM
Um...It's a dump?
Look, if someone is going to plunk down their hard earned dollars on something like coffee the person getting plunked needs to attach some branding to that purchase.
Also, insinuating that your potential customers don't get the joke isn't going to cut it.
Why not pass out some free coffee in the mornings and on the weekends. Get some of that amazing talent that the Lyceum has tucked away to do some pro bono work. I'd buy my coffee from a trapeze artist in a second!
Also, see above about the dump part. The idea that you can't have a good multi use space is insane. Hire an architect, hire an industrial designer, hire a f'ing decorator for all I care but there are people who do this stuff for a living.
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 11:49 PM
What about the bird shit on the steps? Even Starbucks cleans that up.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 7:15 AM
Say what you will, the guy owns the building, he is not some big time developer, he is a pioneer, though eccentric in his thinking. But he invested on his own on 4th avenue, and now you see other coffee shops, some crazy hotel that thinks it can charge $500 a night.
Why don't you hire an architect for him? The place has been put together all of his own hard work. I watched it from the beginning.
Now you want to insult the guy because he doesn't want to do things the way you see everything else done? Move to the burbs then.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 9:12 AM
Red Sox fans- seriously? Nail in the coffin. I went in once to be sent out because they didn't have food or weren't ready to "play" business or whatever. But Sox fans? Seriously f-u. The Soxs can kiss my pinstriped ass.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 9:22 AM
Just make it look like a place that is open and supposed to be entered by the public and get some chairs that didn't come from a p.s. dumpster. If you can't get people to stop on the way to the subway- you are doing something wrong.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 9:26 AM
"Movies, batting cages, operas, jazz, weddings, etc."
It's kinda like that ad that sez: "Do you want to go to an auto shop that also does root canal work?"
The overachieving nature of the Lyceum is a little odd, and I have to agree w/ the above posters that the response from management was very defensive and, I think, unprofessional. (Although I could care less about sports or team loyalties.)
I've always thought something was wrong with the Lyceum - sorry, you've got to try harder to give people a reason to spend their dollars at your place of business.
Making any eating/drinking/coffee space squeaky clean is ALWAYS the priority. Why not start there?
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 10:05 AM
Do they serve Coco Crispy's? Damn Red Sux.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 10:06 AM
I think they clean the front steps whenever the Red Sox win the Series.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 10:07 AM
Red Sox - bathhouse HAhaha HA
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 10:26 AM
Is a Chaucer Caneterbury Tales reference? Well done, nerd.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 11:56 AM
Wel bet is roten appul out of hoord
Than that it rotie al the remenaunt
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 1:09 PM
Wow, between that interior photo (that space has GOT to be modeled after my high school rec room) and the owner's a-hole response to constructive criticism this post makes for some pretty potent anti-incentive. Nope, never gonna check that place out now.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 1:10 PM
Whatever the issues may be with the management...
I got to see Fiona Apple.
Not many other places in Brooklyn can do that.
As for the Red Sox thing, not a smart comment in a town that dropped out of the playoffs in the first round.
But neither are the snarky comments about how the Lyceum doesn't fit with everyones disparate design aesthetic.
To each his own. I'm sure it will make great condos if it stops being a theater.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 7:05 PM
"As for the Red Sox thing, not a smart comment in a town that dropped out of the playoffs in the first round."
Even if the Sox won the Series and the Yankees didn't win a game the entire season- I could still comfortably say f-u to the Red Sox and all of their fans and their entire city.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 7:36 PM
What does everyone think about getting rid of A-Rod?
Posted by: guest at October 18, 2007 7:02 AM
DO IT TODAY!
Posted by: guest at October 19, 2007 10:08 AM
So when did this site become a sports review????? Bring it someplace else. Who cares if they like the Sox? I've been to the cafe since its opened. Its a clean place with excellent coffee and a decent variety of snacks. The owner is always friendly!I like the fact that the Lyceum has different events all the time. It has something for everyone. My advice try it out see it for yourself. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Posted by: guest at October 19, 2007 11:57 AM
I think you all need to get a life.
Posted by: guest at October 23, 2007 12:26 AM
hi everyone
Posted by: guest at October 23, 2007 12:38 AM
Who is this guy with all the anger issues? I think he needs to get laid. If you're such an expert why don't you stop posting comments and do something with your life.
Posted by: guest at October 23, 2007 12:41 AM
I think the guy is a graphic designer or something. That is a fake profession, those anal tards think they know it all. Meanwhile all they are is people who could not make it as architects or artists.
Posted by: guest at October 23, 2007 1:15 AM
well since all these words have gone by, i was coming home tonight and heard this great music, some world class Jazz. The place was great. An intimate space with comfy chairs and tables and great beers. The coffee was good (fiancee’) and a friendly face at the counter helps put one at ease.
I am kind of ashamed for the people or person who has ads on their site for a 650k two bedroom condo in fort green tower or for 475 sterling condos or calls 19th street south slope. then they post snarky remarks. Go back to Starbucks (oh gee are they closing shops because they are all the same and are missing the individualized feel that people crave that is in a real neighborhood business) or the upper east side for your perfectly decorated space.
a space owned owned by an actual person who seems to care about the community (bought it 11 years ago, where were you then?) not some corporate bridge and tunnel nabobs who WANT MORE ADVERTISING. we need more advertising in Park Slope from locals like Brooklyn Industries whose stuff is all from china (that's real brooklyn).
You, Mr., Ms. Brown Stoner (Gabby the condo booster “It’s tough to beat this new Scarano-designed condo...”) whose web site is a real estate page, kind of like the Brownstone site its self, have too much cash on your hands and too much free time as well but certainly have made a good business of dissing one of the things that could make your neighborhood experience not the Ratner express. I wonder if you work for Corcoran (quoting, referring Corcoran's year-end report more than once).
Maybe that's what you want and maybe you will escape the housing bust and Ratners thing will make you some cash.
I doubt you support Develop Don't Destroy as your words are certainly destructive and your profile, well look for your selves..
Thanks for adding constructively to the hood.
Posted by: guest at February 3, 2008 11:29 PM
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