Dolci was, at one time not long ago, synonymous with Elmwood Avenue. Then owner David Simpson picked up his baking supplies and headed west for Grant Street. A few weeks ago David decided that maybe it was time to sell the business and move on with life - maybe head in another direction? Then he heard that the Delish space was coming up for grabs and he decided to jump on what he considered an awesome opportunity. To land a location in such close proximity to The Co-op, with loads and loads of space, possibly outfitted with cooking equipment... how could he pass all of that up?
When he first learned about the space, he immediately envisioned what to do with it. In the past Dolci had always been the type of service business that saw customers come and go without a second thought. That's all about to change. "We're opening a cafe with two industrial espresso machines and we'll be serving soups, wraps, sandwiches, cappuccinos, gelato, and all of our specialty baked items. We're going to be vegan and vegetarian friendly and eventually we'd like to feature specialty smoothies and protein drinks. The space is perfect as a cafe/eatery where we can create paninis, pizzas, and we'll be applying for our beer and wine license. It's a 3000 sq.' space, which means that we're going to put people at tables in the space instead of at counters. The Co-op is a great anchor, so we'll have some crossover clientele. We want to make the cafe affordable too. A customer will be able to order a panini with a soup and gelato, all for one price. This will be good wholesome food served in a welcoming atmosphere. To us this a dream. We knew that we could position ourselves so that we could utilize the space in order to accommodate customers who wanted to enjoy our offerings in a cafe setting. This is a very spiritual shift for us. We want to turn this into a loving open atmosphere for people... and we want to be open by mid June."
Deborah Clark, owner of Delish, is in the process of looking for a new space to run her business. Delish will be open through May, at which time Dolci will be setting up shop.
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When he first learned about the space, he immediately envisioned what to do with it. In the past Dolci had always been the type of service business that saw customers come and go without a second thought. That's all about to change. "We're opening a cafe with two industrial espresso machines and we'll be serving soups, wraps, sandwiches, cappuccinos, gelato, and all of our specialty baked items. We're going to be vegan and vegetarian friendly and eventually we'd like to feature specialty smoothies and protein drinks. The space is perfect as a cafe/eatery where we can create paninis, pizzas, and we'll be applying for our beer and wine license. It's a 3000 sq.' space, which means that we're going to put people at tables in the space instead of at counters. The Co-op is a great anchor, so we'll have some crossover clientele. We want to make the cafe affordable too. A customer will be able to order a panini with a soup and gelato, all for one price. This will be good wholesome food served in a welcoming atmosphere. To us this a dream. We knew that we could position ourselves so that we could utilize the space in order to accommodate customers who wanted to enjoy our offerings in a cafe setting. This is a very spiritual shift for us. We want to turn this into a loving open atmosphere for people... and we want to be open by mid June."
Deborah Clark, owner of Delish, is in the process of looking for a new space to run her business. Delish will be open through May, at which time Dolci will be setting up shop.
Didn't last to long on Grant St.I thought Grant was the next Elmwood?,Maybe the break in had something to do with it.
Grant is the next Elmwood, by virtue of the fact that the 30-something home-buying crowd has been priced out and has nowhere to move but west.
Do you even live anywhere near here?
My wife and I are a 30-something couple who bought in Elmwood in the last year. Housing is not expensive anywhere around here. And taxes are cheaper than the burbs. Middle class folks can afford to buy between Richmond and Delavan. No doubt about it. My whole block proves that. Sure it is cheaper west, but to say people are priced out is extreme hyperbole.
Clarification: I meant that people are priced out of the Elmwood Village, meaning they have to buy between Richmond and Grant. People like you and me.
I agree with Slu - my wife and I (31, and 30) bought a beautiful single family home in the village, and have made friends with quite a few new homeowners our age on our block. Prices here are still quite affordable, I think.