Athens' Newest Coffee Shop and Music Joint
By Bryan Gibson
- 7/7/2002
It's a dilemma - you love live music, but you're not necessarily into the bar scene. Also, the idea of waiting until 1:00am for a band start their set doesn't appeal to you. Until now, the socially conscious, non-barfly, non-smoking, early-to-bed music lover hasn't had many options. Thank the folks at Donkey Coffee & Espresso, Athens newest coffee shop and music venue (located in the old Athens Office Supply building on West Washington St.), for changing all that. Since opening in early June, "Donkey" has already drawn a steady stream of customers (not easy during summer in Athens), based on positive word of mouth. I had a chance to speak with Chris Pyle, one of Donkey's owners, about his new place:
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AMN: First off, congratulations on your grand opening. The place looks great and the coffee is delicious. What made you and your partners decide to open a coffeehouse?
CP: Thanks. I've been thinking about it for years and we finally decided to just go for it. Actually, the thing that interests me most is not the coffee, but the idea of community, specifically through the arts. We have a big emphasis on local art, poetry, music, etc. -- this is my passion. Also, we're excited to bring awareness and get people connected to community service organizations such as Good Works, ATCO, Rural Action and many others. Many students are not aware of the extreme poverty around them or other issues in this area. Coffee just allows all this to happen! My partner, Matt Moore, is the big coffee guy, so we're serious about the coffee as well.
AMN: A lot of local musicians will be reading this, and most of them are starved for another local venue. What's the performance area like and what kind of bands will you book?
CP: Well, obviously it's a coffee bar, so there won't be any alcohol. It's also a smoke-free environment (there are a few tables outside if customers want to grab a smoke). We did this because we felt there weren't many alternatives to the smoky bar atmosphere. I like the bars, and see bands there, but I think it's also nice to have an alternative.
We have a small stage and our setting in the back is intimate. Well, it's somewhat big, but it's got that intimate feel to it. Our desire is to have bands tone down a bit for the back room. For instance, Southeast Engine will be playing here soon and it will be mostly acoustic. There will still be some electric instruments, but it's sort of an unplugged thing (I hate that word). We're certainly not set up for punk rock or dancing. I think bands will appreciate a change and will enjoy the laid-back atmosphere.
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AMN: What about an open stage?
CP: We will be having an open stage starting sometime in July, maybe on Thursday nights. Our desire is to book good bands that also have a following in town, so we'll be a little picky about giving bands a headline show. That's what the open stage is about - if there's a new band that's just getting going, it may be best to start out on the open stage.
AMN: What should bands do if they're interested in booking a show? Do you require a demo?
CP: Unless I've heard them before, we need a demo. They can just drop it off at Donkey and it will get to me.
AMN: Is sound provided? How much do you charge?
CP: Yes, sound is provided. We charge $30 per night. This goes straight into the sound guy's pocket.
AMN: Do you see yourself bringing in any regional/national acts?
CP: Maybe down the line. Right now, we're just concentrating on local scene, although it would be nice to see The Clash reunite on our stage and do some acoustic versions of their stuff. I hear there's a lot less animosity between Joe and Mick these days. ;-)
AMN: What are your hours of operation?
CP: We will have different hours in the summer than when school starts back up. Our desire is to stay open late. This summer, we'll be open 7:30am-11pm weekdays, until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, and noon-11pm in Sundays. We may decide to stay open longer depending on how many people are around at 11pm on weekdays. I imagine that, starting in the fall, we'll be open until at least 1am every night, if not longer.
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AMN: What non-music events do you have planned?
CP: We plan on doing a spoken-word night starting in July; I think it will be on Tuesdays. A fellow named Brett is heading it up, should be really great. We also want to do some weirder stuff - we're kind of dreaming it up as we go. There's talk that it might be fun to have an annual spelling bee. Just different stuff that would be a little left of center compared to other places in town. I'm open to any ideas.
