2011 Hatch Detroit semi-finalist
Anthology Coffee is continuing to build its brand and work on a permanent café in Corktown – happy news, as just a couple of months ago it seemed like they were going to cease all operations.
In 2012 Anthology signed a lease at 2051 Rosa Parks (an office building in Corktown). After some initial efforts were made towards build-out, progress stalled for months and Anthology owner Josh Longsdorf made the decision to leave. At the same time, Anthology also fell short on an Indiegogo campaign that was meant to purchase new equipment; Longsdorf had to use that money to pay off coffee contracts he had purchased in anticipation of being fully open at 2051 months early.
Though he continued to have a presence at the MOCAD Café and a successful pop-up at
Ponyride (the collaborative artists' and entrepreneurs' incubator/office/makerspace in Corktown), an email went out to Anthology subscribers in February announcing that they would be shutting down business operations at the end of March.
With a family to support and another full-time job in addition to his work at Anthology, Longsdorf thought it would be best to close and try again in a few years. Wholesale accounts wouldn't have it. Neither would Phil Cooley, owner of Ponyride.
Anthology's new home is at Ponyride, and they are currently undergoing renovations for their permanent retail café space. The painting, electrical, and façade work is almost complete, and they will build additional seating and move the bar to create more of an interactive experience with the brewing and roasting processes (for those who wish to watch and ask questions). Longsdorf also hopes to put in bay doors that will open out onto Ponyride's planned patio. Custom espresso equipment has been ordered from Modbar.com; once that arrives, the build-out will be completed – estimated mid-summer.
In the meantime, you can visit Mondays through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Wednesdays until 5 p.m.), and during the
Guns & Butter six-course dinner pop-up through the end of this month (which Anthology is hosting and also collaborating on).
Source: Josh Longsdorf, owner of Anthology Coffee
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg
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