Fancy yourself a coffee connoisseur? Geoffrey Creighton wants to rock your world. Creighton's new coffee shop, the Smiling Goat Organic Espresso Bar, is set to open for business inside the Paramount building on South Park during the week of Aug. 20. The shop, which Creighton co-owns with his wife Andrea, will be cozy—the store space is only about 500 square feet. That means no food preparation onsite, although fresh baked goods will be supplied by yet-to-be-determined local businesses. Squeezed juices, teas and hot chocolate will also be on sale, but the shop's main focus will be coffee. "We are going to offer a premium product...it may even be best in Nova Scotia or Atlantic Canada," says Creighton. Baristas will brew these cups of joe with a specialized (and award-winning) coffee-brewer called the Clover, which churns out individually brewed coffees and takes under a minute to prepare each cup. "So you can make one after another, after another," says Creighton. "And it just really brings out the taste in the coffee." The shop will be using beans from Java Blend Coffee Roasters on North, and aims to sell Fair Trade organic coffee. Environmental consciousness will also be on the menu in the form of biodegradable to-go cups. Learn more at: www.smilinggoat.ca.
Salon collective
Both Aspirations Hair Design (previously situated at the corner of Spring Garden and Queen) and Christopher Cromwell Hair Design (formerly at the corner of Birmingham and Spring Garden) have moved from their old digs; they've been operating out of the same salon space, at 1456 Dresden Row, since July 1. The former home of Aspirations was sold, says Aspirations co-owner Kathryn Robb. Christopher Cromwell had offered to let Aspirations work out of his salon on Birmingham, but the building was too small to house both operations. "Then we just decided, why don't we get together, and pool our resources, and find a new spot," says Robb. Both salons have kept their respective business names and phone numbers, and everyone's happy, she adds. "It's been fun...and I think it's going to be exciting for all of us." Aw, snap...there go our hopes for a salon vs. salon hairstyling throw-down. Call Aspirations at 422-9436, or Christopher Cromwell Hair Design at 425-8519 for reservations.
Waiter no more
After almost 30 years of pouring tea and furnishing customers with Eggs Benedict, longtime Ardmore Tea Room waiter Barbara McGlone has decided to finally give her serving arms a rest—she retired this month. "Twenty-nine years of being a server is pretty hard on the body. And you know, I think it's time," says McGlone, 58. Besides, she's in the process of building a house in Hantsport. "It'd be a little hard to commute," she points out. No matter how you look at it, 29 years in an impressive amount of time to have dedicated to the always-difficult service industry. But McGlone's accomplishment is even more remarkable because it's part of a small family legacy. McGlone's mother Gertie also worked at the Ardmore for an equally noteworthy 27 years. And for the last 16 years, McGlone's daughter, Tracy Warren, has been working at the Quinpool restaurant, too. McGlone and family have been close to the Cormiers, who own the Ardmore, for decades. This friendly relationship with management is part of the reason McGlone stayed at the restaurant for so long. She also likes the customers. The feeling's mutual; even though McGlone's only been gone for a week, her absence is being felt at the Ardmore. "People are missing her already," says Warren.
Rocking for a cause
The posters around town that advertised last week's fundraiser to help the Newfoundland Grocery Store Ltd. on Willow told us when (August 1), and where (Gus' Pub) the event was taking place, and even which local artists were pitching in musically to help the store out (Down with the Butterfly, Pamela Underwater, Ghost Bees, and Fall Horsie). But they failed to answer one important question: Why does the Newfoundland Store need funds raised? The answer: The store has had three windows broken within the last month; it cost owner Clifford Yarn around $2,200 to replace the windows. Hearing about Yarn's plight, the members of Down with the Butterfly took it upon themselves to help out, and organized the benefit (DWTB guitarist Kris Pope lives above the store). "We love that store. I mean, it's an old man who runs it and every time you go in the front, he smiles," says DWTB drummer Jason Burns. "It's a place you can go in with not enough change for something, and he won't let you leave without what you came in for, you know?" The benefit raised around $300 dollars for the store, says Yarn. But he's a little confused by all the support and attention. "I don't know why they did it. I never asked anybody for anything," Yarn says. "They must like me, I guess."
No disc
After a month-long inventory liquidation sale, Super Video on Queen closed its doors for the last time at 10pm on August 2. By that point, both regular and adult DVDs were selling for $2.99 each. As of closing time, SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 had yet to find a home. Owner Greg Boudreau thanks his customers for "20 years of loyal support."
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