Grand Opening at Big Chair Coffee n' Grill
Photos by Holly Le
Today's grand opening at Big Chair Coffee n' Grill might be the most highly anticipated new business event in River East in years. Dozens of curious customers dropped by the soft opening on Saturday to check the place out. There wasn't a whole lot to see yet: No sign, no food. But before Big Chair even opened its doors, it was already building a scene.
Even Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry stopped in to see how the first cafe in MLK Avenue SE was shaping up. As it happens, he takes a French-vanilla latte. He was joined by Ward 5 ANC commissioner Jacqueline Manning (hazelnut latte). Barry and Manning sipped their coffees at the bar while Barry listened to residents and petitioners. He explained that the cafe used to be a plumbing store. The Councilmember was in good spirits. When Manning dapped at his beard with a napkin, Barry playfully licked at her fingers.
It isn't Big Chair's coffee that has people excited -- not exactly. It's the location. It's the, well, the Big Chair out front. It's the neighborhood and the difficulty it has experienced drawing business. Ward 8 activist and MLK Day Parade chair Don Wright explained with a wink that Big Chair is "for us, by us."
It is in fact a coffee shop and lunch counter by Ayehubizu Yimenu and her son, Elias "Dave" Endale, and other family members -- all new to the coffee business. (Both Dave and another family member, D, are contractors by trade. They did the build-out of the space themselves.) It may soon serve as an Anacostia nightspot, too, liquor license pending. "People here say, 'Let's meet at the chair.' Not, 'Let's meet in Anacostia,'" said Dave Endale. "We had to make it Big Chair Coffee.'"
Big Chair is no-frills. It is inviting enough, with warm walls painted burnt orange and a long bar downstairs and a lime lounge upstairs. The decor is much closer to Starbucks than indie coffeehouse, though there are some comfortable touches: brightly colored hourglasses (for steeping tea) are an example. It is difficult to judge the coffee, since Big Chair is only serving Java brand coffee for the time being; they have not yet received the beans that they plan to import from Ethiopia and roast on site. D explained that it was difficult to import coffee from Ethiopia nowadays because so many farmers have switched from growing coffee to growing khat, a chewable leaf that is a stimulant. (Councilmember Barry asked, "Make you high?")
Big Chair comes with some pedigree: The drinks are made on the La Marzocco espresso machine that used to be the engine behind Murky Coffee. (Big Chair won it at a tax auction.) But there is room for improvement: The latte I tried wasn't awful, but it sure wasn't anything you'd get at Murky back in the day. The price, however, was spot on. Big Chair serves small, medium, and large specialty espresso drinks, with a large (18 ounce) priced at $3.50. The largest house coffee (which will come as French press and drip) costs just more than two bucks.
On Saturday, Big Chair served donuts and pastries, but the grill wasn't up and running yet. The owners said that they will serve eggs, sausage, and other country breakfast fare in the morning. The lunch menu is fuller: hamburgers, turkey and veggie burgers, buffalo wings, and chicken fingers were all mentioned. The menu isn't set yet, but a hamburger would set you back somewhere between $6.50-8.00.
But by the enthusiasm of some of the customers, you would believe that Anacostia residents would be willing to pay any price. One customer explained that developers won't build out River East until the white hipsters move in, even though the area is home to black middle class residents who shop at the same places in the District.
"Just a place to get coffee. Just anything that isn't crappy pizzas or takeout," gushed Metro Police Department officer J.M. Bruno. Big Chair's coffee and fare might not measure up to some of the other elite coffeehouses in the District -- at least, not without some practice. Even Big Chair has already set the standard for new developments in River East.