Once upon a time there was a small town café named for a gentle wind, which catered to a conscious clientele of tourists, climbers, university students, entrepreneurs, and artists. It served tea and espresso drinks along with creative vegan and gluten-free meals and treats that were so delicious customers who vowed never to allow a morsel of “hippie food” past their lips were swayed and soon found delights in cashew cream “cheesecakes,” vegan lasagna and cookies made with –gasp! – carob.
The townsfolk loved this sweet little café so much they told all their friends and family about it, and soon line-ups were routinely out the door, seating was scant, and small children could be heard whispering “Zephyr” to one another, like a secret password, as they passed along Cleveland Avenue swaddled in Ergo carriers.
Exactly a year ago this week, Zephyr owner Adrian Blachut purchased Gelato Karina, a business conveniently two doors down, with the plan of moving into the bigger space. Now, after intense renovation, and barely a day of business missed, the new space is open.
Zephyr 2.0 is just as eclectic and comfortable as the original. An intense kelly-green wall boasts a working wood-burning fireplace, adored by a welded metal unicorn mount, coffee table, sofas and stuffed chairs.
The rest of the dining area is kitschy and clever. Kate Drexler painted a contemporary mural on the opposing wall, and painter-artist Jesse Redden made his mark by lining the ceiling of a hallway with close to 100 vinyl 33s. The signature claw-foot tub bench made the move, and is flanked by a pair of swinging hammocks on the patio.
An attitude of whimsy and fun remains – trademark toys and figurines, table markers for orders bought and paid for at the counter, are still in use; a new children’s area takes up residence in the corner; and there are a host of board games and activities for patrons.
Blachut has visions of adding a small stage for genuine coffee house performances and is in the process of obtaining a liquor license for wine, beer and cider. He also has designs on staying open well past the current 7 p.m. closing time.
For now Zephyr’s menu remains the same, but with a full-size kitchen, Blachut said by next summer the offerings will be expanded.
“I can’t wait for us to fully utilize this bigger kitchen. We want to start making more meals that are interesting and require more preparation. This winter we will start testing things out. It’s time to explore,” he said, adding that local favourites will be retained.
And what of the old space?
“I think every downtown needs to have a little gelateria,” he explained, adding that part of the business sale included all the gelato making equipment and training in how to make it. “I want to open up a year-round gelateria or ice cream shop with some healthier options. We may move into crepes or something else delicious to hold off seasonality. In the size and space we had in the original Zephyr it will work perfectly.”
Unicorns tend to be the things that fairytales are made of, but so too is a small town business built on little more than a hope and a dream growing so substantially in less than a decade that it needs a new home virtually four times the size of the original. It may not be a castle, but hopefully this new space is the glass slipper Zephyr has been longing for.
The End… Or is it a new beginning?
