Organically Grown With Communal Love - The Root Café - Now Open For Business
Phoenix Coffee is gone. Lakewood’s near perfect coffee house has closed. Lakewood's best cup of coffee is no longer! Well that is not quite true. It’s back and it is better, bigger, friendlier, more comfortable than ever- and with some great additions. All for you, and your friends.
Over four years ago Julie Hutchison, owner of Lakewood’s Phoenix Café started to dream of how she could take the coffee shop to a higher level. The Bohemian (read real) Coffee house was nearly always packed with an eclectic crowd that always seem to have music, green concerns, fun, laughs and good coffee in common. But how to add to such a nice comfortable space?
One idea was to build up, with a kitchen downstairs. Another was to possibly move to another area, though Julie has always been dedicated to that block with other great anchor stores like Lion-n-Blue and the Record Exchange. The storefronts all just seemed to fit together perfectly. Like a little slice of Berkley in the 60s and 70s, that's what the coffee and the good times were all about.
It was not until 2007 that Julie and Bobby started to rough ideas for their dream space. They wanted it to build on Phoenix, yet reflect their ideas for living and working in Lakewood. A great comfortable place to bike or walk to with your kids in tow, or to escape the day-to-day grind of life. A place where lions and lambs could sit and drink coffee side by side. A place that amplified their respect for life through a new organic and green café.
So the idea of The Root Café was born. As Julie put it, “We wanted to access the idea of the foundation for growth. The foundation of music, culture, and art is often referred to as the root. We also make coffee, tea and food. It represents the commonality of all botanics: the root. It is botanical, cultural, mathematical and cool, now that we use it.”
Finally, the lease was signed and in June of 2009 construction began. But it would prove to be a long and expensive process, possibly even more so than they thought in 2006 when it was first dreamed into existence. Still they soldiered on, with some truly magical moments, ones that could only happen under these very rare circumstances. Some of the customers offered to help, and workers, anxious to see the dream realized offered to help with sanding, painting, moving - whatever was needed. Skilled tradesman around the town stepped up like Lakewood building wizard Burt Wirtz, who came forward to help and teach Bobby how to do some of the work. Julie’s brother Gregory ???? stepped up and did the amazing tile work on the walls, pure art from one of Clevland’s top tile artisans.
Slowly over 6 months it took root, like an organic living thing. Building on sweat, intellectual sharing, load sharing, and communal construction that only happens when the community loves and respects you for who you are and share the dream. In 6 months the old vacuum store became one of the warmest, nicest, most comfortable spots in which I have ever been. Sit and look anywhere and you can feel the love and the warmth. It is exactly how Julie described what she wanted 4 years ago!
Julie, who started working at the original Lakewood Phoenix in 1996, was now the mother of her own dream realized by Christmas 2009. And it was just in time. As people poured back into the city for the holidays, it quickly became the destination of all. The Root had become the crossroads of the universe. Sitting at a table I could see some of Lakewood’s great Albanian population playing dominoes. If I looked to the right, there was Mark from L.A., Mel’s sister from Boston, Tom Warren from Manhattan, Betsy and Mike who met in England, Gary who had just returned from some music gigs in Germany, and Adam at the counter planning his trip to Norway in the spring.
Topping off this seemingly magical place is great food, straight out of their brand new kitchen. Nonni Casino, the head chef, has brought her incredible vegan and vegetarian menu, and Cindy Mackkay is baking some incredible goodies. Cookies, pastry, pies and the best damn pecan pie I have had since my aunt passed away 15 years ago! Try it and tell me it is not the best!
The seating area has been enlarged, with big tables, wi-fi and power everywhere, nice beautiful bathrooms, and large windows with seats and stools to watch Lakewood go by. There is even talk of a patio in the spring!
Julie, Bobby, Hazel, Gabriel, and friends, no - make that family, have created a very special place. In a city of many good coffee houses, everyone needs to stop by and see what can happen when Lakewood dreams meet Lakewood action. To all that had a part in this, thank you for making this home away from home.