First they built a community. Then they built a coffeehouse for it.
Vince Padilla, who is a partner in the Eastside Brick Community development, recently opened up the Boiler Room coffeehouse with his wife Charlette and daughter Jasmine McShea. Padilla said the coffeehouse completes the Eastside Brick vision.
“It’s the last piece of the puzzle on this project,” he said.
Eastside Brick is a development on Fifth Avenue East with hip condominiums, offices and artist workspaces. The building was once a hospital, then a county courthouse, adding historical flair to the modern urban appeal. Padilla said all of the 28 residential units are either sold or rented, while 10 of the 24 commercial spaces are open. He’s looking for renters or purchasers.
Located in Eastside Brick’s parking lot, the coffeehouse sits where the hospital’s original boiler room once stood, hence the name “Boiler Room.” Previous owners tore the boiler building down, leaving “just a big old hole in the ground,” Padilla said. Now that big old hole is a chic coffeehouse.
The central theme of the Boiler Room, Charlette Padilla said, is community. She envisions the coffeehouse serving as a gathering spot not only for Eastside Brick’s residents, but for people from all of the neighborhoods in the area. And, of course, people are invited to come from anywhere.
The Boiler Room has a small grocery section that sells local eggs, milk, bread and other basics, providing a neighborhood market atmosphere that is rarely found today. Also, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. everyday, a percentage of sales go to Hedges School. And there is a stage set up for Friday night open mic sessions and movie nights.
“The neighborhood wants this,” she said. “We want this to be a community gathering place.”
Breakfast and lunch are served. Like with the grocery section, everything is local, Padilla said. Pastries are provided by Ceres Bakery and Simply Sweet, eggs and cheese are from Montana, and even teas won’t originate from farther away than the Northwest United States, she said. Granted, the coffee beans aren’t local.
The breakfast menu has bagel sandwiches with eggs, ham and bacon. Customers can also choose from cereals, yogurts, granolas, bagels and fruit salads. “Waffle Weekends” will feature three different kinds of Belgian waffles. And the lunch menu’s paninis – also called pressed sandwiches – are available for breakfast.
The lunch menu’s pressed sandwiches include one with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato and basil pesto. There is one with grilled zucchini, eggplant, onion and feta with a balsamic glaze. There are turkey and steak options as well. Several homemade soups and salads are also on the menu.
Drinks include the usual espresso fare, though with a twist. Any of the chilled drinks are made with cold-brewed espresso, which cuts down on the bitterness for a mellower flavor. Also available are smoothies, frappes, Italian sodas and novelties such as hemp milk.
To-go cups, silverware and other ware at the Boiler Room are compostable. Customers can compost the items themselves or bring them back to the coffeehouse to be composted.
Take-out orders are invited. Charlette Padilla said, in absence of a drive-through window, people can buy a prepaid swipe card and call in their orders ahead. Then when they arrive to pick up their order, the card will have already been swiped and everything is ready to go, with a receipt printed.
The Boiler Room is located at 525 Eighth Street East. Its hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. Its Web site is www.boilerroombrew.com and the phone number is (406) 260-4122.