Markeshia Ricks Photo
Courtney Ciesla wasn’t sure she was ready to open. Then she took the curtain down off of the window of the new Fuel Coffee Shop, to reveal people waiting outside.
“It was kind of amazing,” said Ciesla (pictured). “I literally peeled the curtain down, and as I did, people just started flooding in. I’m so glad I had one of my baristas here with me, and we just started immediately.”
That’s what happened Saturday, when Wooster Square neighbors lined up for a long-awaited refueling.
Fuel is planning a bigger, official 10th anniversary reopening at its new location. But a “soft opening” Saturday let the neighborhood know that its beloved coffee shop was back.
Ciesla shows off an anniversary photo from Fuel’s first year in business.
Fuel had to move when new owners bought its former building at the corner of Chapel and Chestnut streets. The coffee shop had called it home for a decade. The owners are converting the commercial space into an apartment. (Read more about that here.)
Neighbors have been waiting all summer for Fuel’s return.
People dropped by to buy coffee and tea Saturday, but also to say, “Welcome back,” just an hour after she’d opene. Ciesla was thrilled. Most of her staff from the old shop will remain, adding some familiarity to the new location.
Ciesla also repurposed some of the old Fuel decor for the new space. There are still some finishing touches to add and the menu to finalize. She said it will all be in place in time for the 10th anniversary celebration in few weeks.
Though the move was unexpected, Ciesla said that she took it at as an opportunity to make changes in the business.
The shop’s new space, at 208 Wooster St., is significantly smaller than the old space.
“This space was available, and I just felt like it had a lot of potential with the window and being right on Wooster Street,” she said. “[It’s] close enough to the old location that I wouldn’t lose that solid customer base that I’ve built over the last 10 years.”
Because of the shop’s smaller size, Ciesla said, she is focusing on more of a “grab-and-go” model for her business. The only indoor seating will be a long bar opposite where she and her staff work. She also will be able to have outdoor seating in front of the new shop, which she had always wanted at the old location but zoning didn’t allow.
Fuel Coffee at three years old.
Fuel will still continue to pour up the coffee it’s known for, but its food menu is changing too. Ciesla doesn’t have a grill or ventilation in the new space, which makes it hard for her to duplicate some of the favorites produced at the old location.
She had to break it to a customer that the veggie burger wrap will no longer be on the menu. “There will be a lot of good stuff. Don’t you worry,” she reassured him.
He mentioned the lack of vegetarian and vegan food options in the city. She told him that one of the items coming back is the vegan BLT. A new tofu scramble also is in the works.
“We’re going to have some simple sandwiches,” she said of the menu. “We’re going to have egg and cheeses. We’re not going to do anything grilled or soup, or anything like that. We’ll do yogurt parfaits to go.”
Ciesla said she’s always wanted to streamline the menu, but the old Fuel had customer favorites that were hard to take away.
“This way it’s kind of a clean slate, and I could take all of the things that worked well and try to make them better,” she said. “I think I’m going to bring in things that are a little easier to grab and go because this space is smaller. I think I’ll just let it evolve with the demand and see what people want and go from there.”
The new Fuel Coffee is a friend of those with two legs, and those with four, like Tuna.
The new shop will open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; Ciesla said she’s open to extending those hours. Fuel is just down the street from Sally’s Apizza, and across the street from Wooster Memorial Park now.
Ciesla sees an opportunity to attract some of Sally’s customers in for hot coffee either while they’re standing in line waiting to eat, or after their meal.
“I think it says a lot for the community and the neighborhood that they’ve been waiting patiently or impatiently — I’m not sure,” Ciesla said. “But they’ve been waiting for this day and it was really sweet that they’re watching that closely. It was exciting. It felt really good.”
Neat. Is new Fuel still cash only?