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Awaken in the news...AGAIN!
Gourmet Baguette Sandwiches are here!
Awaken Cafe in the Tribune!
Oakland businesses face tough times with despair, ambivalence, hopeBy Sean Maher Oakland Tribune 10/29/2008full article hereIn other quarters, however, some entrepreneurs report an upswing in how Oakland customers are responding to efforts to make their businesses special.
"It's going awesome, actually," said Cortt Dunlap, who owns the Awaken Cafe, at 414 14th St. "Since we opened in April, we've found that especially downtown there's a vacuum for independent, community-minded, sustainable business."
Dunlap said he and the business's co-owners discussed the project for years, hitting up friends and family to invest and working hard to get a sense of what neighborhood regulars would want in a new cafe.
"Before we opened, we had a town-hall style meeting; we did conference calls; put out fliers," Dunlap said. "We asked, 'What do you want in a shop like this?'"
The answer, according to Dunlap, was a call to show off Oakland's thriving artistic community, and a desire for "green collar jobs." Dunlap responded with an artist's gallery that cycles monthly and a strict green-product regimen.
"Green materials are between 5 and 15 percent more expensive, but it's what people want these days," he said. Dunlap also said he took a page from San Francisco's Gratitude Cafe, offering friends and early customers a deal that makes them feel like surrogate partners in the enterprise.
"We said that if they buy a $1,000 gift certificate, we would give them a 25 percent value bonus on top of that," Dunlap said. "If they say, 'Hey, I can see spending a thousand bucks in this place over a long time,' it works for everybody. We keep track for them of what they spend and we know their face and their name. ... Everybody wants that 'Cheers' experience, you know?" Labels: city of oakland, media, small business, www
New Seating Arrangement
 There is a new addition to Awaken Cafe: A Community Table! It fits beautifully in the space, and it is already being utilized with great enthusiasm. Looking forward to seeing you in those stools! Labels: coffee, community
Small Business Survivors on insidebayarea.com
New Blog Postings from Sarah
 I'll be updating the blog weekly with news about Awaken Cafe. Check back regularly! Labels: staff, www
Take a Stand for Public Arts Programs in Oakland
First Friday Music Available in Our Store
 Inspired by how great Brass Menazeri was at Great American Music Hall last night and how good their new album is we decided to add the albums of the musicians who have performed at our First Friday events to our online store. We have the amazing Holcombe Waller's "Troubled Times" and Brass Menazeri's first album "Brazen" (their just released album "Vranjski San" coming soon) for sale through iTunes or on CD Baby. Labels: arts, first friday, music
First Friday Photos on Facebook
Urbanspoon on iPhone
 We're now listed on Urbanspoon which you can download on your iPhone to look for cool, nearby restaurants! Visit the page and review us or tell them you like us! Labels: spread the word, www
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