Awaken Cafe

Check out Shop Oakland & Oakland Unwrapped!

2008-11-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

These are awesome new websites designed to promote Oakland Businesses.

Our listing on Oakland Unwrapped!

Our listing on Shop Oakland!

Awaken in the news...AGAIN!

2008-11-06T10:23:00.000-08:00

It turns out that our regulars aren't the only people who want a Barista's opinion...

http://cbs5.com/video/?id=41356@kpix.dayport.com

Gourmet Baguette Sandwiches are here!

2008-11-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

Awaken Cafe in the Tribune!

2008-10-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

Oakland businesses face tough times with despair, ambivalence, hope

By Sean Maher
Oakland Tribune
10/29/2008

full article here

In 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?"

New Seating Arrangement

2008-10-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

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!

Small Business Survivors on insidebayarea.com

2008-10-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

New Blog Postings from Sarah

2008-10-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'll be updating the blog weekly with news about Awaken Cafe. Check back regularly!

Take a Stand for Public Arts Programs in Oakland

2008-10-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

Go here.

First Friday Music Available in Our Store

2008-09-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

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.

Living in the O

2008-09-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

Our awesome First Friday event was mentioned in the super cool Oakland blog "Living in the O."

Check it out here.

First Friday Photos on Facebook

2008-09-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

Click here.

Brass Menazeri Live

2008-09-05T18:20:00.001-07:00

Live from First Friday

2008-09-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

Special Weekend Hours

2008-08-29T17:36:00.001-07:00

The Cafe will be open special hours this weekend for the Oakland Art & Soul Festival:

Saturday, August 30
Sunday, August 31
Monday, September 1 (Labor Day)

8 am to 6 pm

Dragon by Havah

2008-08-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

Urbanspoon on iPhone

2008-08-13T19:31:00.001-07:00

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!

New T-shirts Are Here!

2008-08-06T14:01:00.001-07:00

Customer Carl Hall bought the first one!

You can purchase T-Shirts, Coffee, and CAFE CREATOR Cards in our new online store.

Live from First Friday

2008-08-01T18:09:00.001-07:00

Live from First Friday

2008-08-01T18:08:00.001-07:00

Live from First Friday

2008-08-01T18:07:00.001-07:00

Cool Bay Area "Not For Tourist" Guide Lists Awaken Cafe

2008-07-31T20:02:00.000-07:00

www.notfortourists.com

"When the Golden Bull bar closed shop last year, denizens of Oakland's club scene gasped a collective beer breathed WTF!?! But when Awaken Cafe opened in the space a couple months ago, the promise of a cool new downtown business district continues to emerge. And besides, now there's somewhere to nurse hangovers on those Saturday mornings after Art Murmur. Run by Burning Man veterans Cortt Dunlap and Kari Christensen, Awaken serves up fair trade java, healthy snacks and organic tea and wine with a Burner's flair in a funky cool atmosphere. For the moment only the small upfront coffee bar is open to the public, but the coming months promise a late night lounge/art gallery/performance space out back featuring a rotating cast of your favorite Oaktown artists and rabble rousers."

by Kwan Booth

New Reclaimed and Reused Merchandise Cabinet

2008-07-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

We found an old beat up shelving unit on the side of the street and
wrapped it in reclaimed redwood salvaged during our remodel.

New City of Oakland Coffee Cans

2008-07-24T07:26:00.001-07:00

Now on sale organic gourmet coffee in Awaken Cafe reusable cans! The label is printed on recycled, FSC certified paper using soy inks.

Training

2008-07-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

Rhita from Taylor Maid Farms and Ellie from Coffee Solutions (www.coffeesolutions.net) stopped by to do some training with us today! Ellie won the Great Lakes Regional Barista Championship and was a runner up the at United States Barista Championship in 2005.

New Oakland Visual Arts Web Site

2008-07-17T16:42:00.003-07:00