First Edition Cafe at Downtown Library opens

[Steve]

For those of you interested in the cafe's progress, it opens Saturday, July 28 with an meet and greet with local authors (Jack Money and I are among invited guests). It starts at noon and runs through 1:30 p.m.
-Steve

[Doug Loudenback]

For those of you interested in the cafe's progress, it opens Saturday, July 28 with an meet and greet with local authors (Jack Money and I are among invited guests). It starts at noon and runs through 1:30 p.m.
-Steve

See ya there! I'm bringing a "Stump the Expert" question ... what was the location of this building?

[metro]

Wow. I rode my bicycle over there last week and although progress was made, it looked like they had a long way to go. Glad to see this place finally open, even if it was years after it was first scheduled to open.

[BailJumper]

I'm sure the homeless population will enjoy the added amenities next door the OKC's most expensive homeless shelter, aka the Library.

[Doug Loudenback]

Not sure what your inuendos are meant to say, BailJumper. Can you clarify what you mean?

[JerzeeGrlinOKC]

I'm sure the homeless population will enjoy the added amenities next door the OKC's most expensive homeless shelter, aka the Library.

Bailjumper, I surely hope you are not trying to lambaste the existence of a nice downtown library just because you may have seen homeless people in and around the area. Every time I've been there I found it to be clean, pleasant, and a generally safe environment. I saw a couple of homeless people down in the lobby a few times (I can count them on one hand), but no homeless people in the library itself, at least not obvious ones. And as long as they are not loitering in a corner (I've never seen that), everyone has the right to be there.

Regardless, I think the downtown library is a wonderful thing for downtown OKC, and I'm so glad to hear that the cafe is opening. I'll have to check it out.

And what do you expect, its downtown, and its a hot summer. It happens in all city libraries, its just a fact of urban life. It doesn't mean that improvement or care of city libraries should be ignored or downplayed (because this is how I interpreted your quote). More options need to be available for the homeless (like decent long-term care mental institutions, better state, county, or city run homeless shelters and drug/alcohol treatment programs, or better unemployment-to-work programs), which would be the real issue.

[BailJumper]

Trust me, I utilize the library and their free conference rooms weekly. And, yes it is FULL of homelesss people. Talk to the policeman at the front counter. The one I talked to said he spends his whole day waking them up from inside the library and in the bathrooms.

I never said the library was not very nice. As a matter of fact I called it the most expensive homeless shelter in the city.

If you spend as much time there as I often do, you'd see them lined up on the computers. Many looking at borderline porn (gay and straight) and playing games all day. Also, take a wiff of the chairs - not pleasant.

Get as liberal as you want - it is still a homeless shelter.

[hipsterdoofus]

Actually, first edition WANTED to open Saturday but I believe the city did not get out for inspections last Friday. They are fully inspected as of today. I'm not sure exactly what that means as far as opening. Looked like they weren't quite ready at 4:30 today, but they were waiting to pass all inspections before they got everything moved in. Should be within days now.

[BailJumper]

Anyone know what their menu consists of and prices?

I look forward to another choice when in the area.

[hipsterdoofus]

I could possibly pass that on to you. The cafe should be opening Saturday the 4th or Monday the 6th to the general public.

[metro]

So is it open or not? The title and the first post states it opened on July 28th, you state it is opening within the next week. Which is it or is anyone certain?

[Steve]

The library system intended Saturday to be the opening of the cafe. Inspection delays got in the way of that, and the event was catered instead. Sorry - I didn't know until after it was over.
-Steve

[hipsterdoofus]

The cafe had a soft opening for library staff - I believe it will open to the public tomorrow, Sunday, or Monday....I will try to post a menu shortly.

[metro]

well hipsterdoofus, can you tell us anything about your soft opening? How is the food, price, menu selection, ambiance?

[hipsterdoofus]

Well, I didn't stay in there for long - I'd say the prices are probably comparable for a similar location - food selections are about $6-9, I don't recall all the drink prices. I tried to scan in the menu, but the one I had was pretty small and it didn't scan very well. It seemed like a nice enough place, a bit pricier than I typically pay, but hopefully it will work out.

I could possibly pass along more info Monday-ish

[metro]

any more updates hipsterdoofus? menu selection/items? type of drinks, etc?

[hipsterdoofus]

I have a menu right here, but its tiny so it doesn't scan well - The menu consists mainly of sandwiches, soup, and coffee. All of the sandwich names have a book/author theme and are quite good. One item on the menu is the "Reader's Choice" in which you get a 1/2 sandwich and a coup of soup or a house salad for $6.95 (just to give you a basic idea of prices.

Unfortunately, the menu I have does not have the coffee prices on it, but I don't think they are too bad, certainly no worse than a starbucks. Sorry I don't have a bigger description, but it IS open to the public now, so you all need to make a run over!

[Doug Loudenback]

I had to work on Sunday and so after that walked over to the Library ... tried out the 1st Edition Cafe. It's a small area off of the rotunda area ... and not quite ready to go ... only parts of its menu were available ... I had an "Oddysey" (sandwiches don't come with chips, and, in fact, they didn't have any available yet) ... cleverly put-together menu, but, for the price, my socks weren't knocked off at all. Walk a block north of the library to Subway and get better food and cheaper, for sure (at least, as to what I had). My opinion.

[metro]

Thanks Doug! That's rather odd you didn't get chips with your sandwich, especially since the menu says above the sandwiches "served with chips". You figure they could go to Wal-Mart and have a few bags ready to go until they are fully up and running.

[BailJumper]

Well, I stopped in this week. I literally stood there for at least 3 minutes and not a one of their staff said "hello", "welcome", "can I help you?" or anything. And, yes, I was the only patron in the place and their three employees were just standing at the register looking at a magazine.

I asked what the sandwiches came with and they told me "a bag of chips." So, I am assuming they had them.

I told them I was just checking the new place out. I got a chuckle when the guy told me "A lot of people are turned off by our prices, but the bread is really big!"

GREAT - I can buy a whole loaf of really good big bread for a couple of bucks.

A $9 sandwich with a bar of off the shelf chips - no thank you.

I'll take Subway or Quizno's any day for alot less.

[hipsterdoofus]

I asked what the sandwiches came with and they told me "a bag of chips." So, I am assuming they had them.

For some reason they opened up over the weekend before they had everything. I know they didn't have chips Sunday as a coworker told me he had the same issue. I believe they have more stuff available today.

I also think the prices are high, but at the same time, I don't think its fair to say they are a lot more expensive that other places in the city (although I don't personally eat at those places).

I hope that it works out.

[Midtowner]

They have to be expensive in order to keep the homeless out.

[BailJumper]

They have to be expensive in order to keep the homeless out.

Speaking of. At 4:30pm yesterday (when I visited) there was one homeless guy asleep in the men's room stall (you could hear him snoring) and another one "bathing" in the sink with a nasty old towel. Yummy!

[Doug Loudenback]

For some reason they opened up over the weekend before they had everything. I know they didn't have chips Sunday as a coworker told me he had the same issue. I believe they have more stuff available today.

I also think the prices are high, but at the same time, I don't think its fair to say they are a lot more expensive that other places in the city (although I don't personally eat at those places).

I hope that it works out.

Well, considering that there is a Subway 1/2 block north of the library which has good (better, I think) sandwiches at a cheaper price, the library cafe might want to consider the next door neighbor competition.

[metro]

Sounds like if they keep this up they will be out of business shortly. I sure would like to see something succeed in that spot, but they better get their act together.