Cafe Treme
When residents of Treme were surveyed in 2010 by a resident organization about what they wanted most, the answer was unequivocal: a community-oriented coffee shop. That answer resulted in the vibrant Café Treme opening its doors on September 13, 2011, after nearly a year of enthusiastic expectations, renovations, and percolations.
During that fateful 2010 community meeting, two parties in particular hoped to provide Treme’s residents with what they most desired: A place to meet, gather, and discuss the day’s events over coffee or a snack. Alonzo Knox and his wife Jessica, New Orleans locals since relocating from Washington D.C. in 2003, thought about an ice cream parlor, and New Orleans native Gladys Marigny envisioned a coffee shop.
Knox and Marigny joined their ideas, creating the multi-faceted Café Treme, offering the best in coffee brews, tea drinks, snacks, sandwiches, summertime snoballs, and New Orleans’ beloved buttermilk drops. The dual owners hired coffee connoisseur and head barista Collins Feeser, who brewed the first batch of beans to the delight of eager neighbors and community members.
Café Treme’s proximity to culturally rich Armstrong Park and community-connecting green space Lafitte Corridor will bring patrons in the door, and once inside, it is impossible to ignore the feeling that you are someplace special, participating in something special with an act as simple as sipping tea and saying hello to a stranger.
Its mission is simple. Knox, Marigny, and Feeser want the café to embody “the cultural richness of Treme, showcasing the look, sound, and feel of the neighborhood,” while operating to a standard nothing short of excellent for their fellow residents and community members.
Part of that cultural richness lies in the Treme’s vibrant music, arts, culinary, and coffee culture and to that end, the café, like the neighborhood it inhabits, is constantly seeking to grow and improve. Future plans involve hosting open-mics for patrons to share stories and poetry, jazz brunches, an expanded menu, and rotating local artists’ works on the walls of the café.
All residents of the Treme, Knox, Marigny, and Feeser consider their business more than a café, but also a community and cultural center. The three work diligently to cultivate a safe place for conversation and celebration, offering residents and visitors an open invitation to experience the Treme during daylight hours, “providing a place to go and gather while the sun is up,” says Marigny. It is a place to “bring your friends and bring your ideas,” Feeser says, remarking, “Everything beyond the coffee is how people interact with one another.”
As owners and manager of the first coffee shop in Treme, the three note a palpable and growing appreciation for the cafe in those who might not normally feel welcomed or comfortable in a coffee shop setting, and they see their efforts at inclusion being rewarded as more of their fellow citizens opt to leave the corner and enjoy the café instead.
Knox and Marigny are conscious of their unique position as proprietors of the first space of its kind in Treme. They and head barista Feeser endeavor to be a positive example of growth, diversity, and potential within the neighborhood. Says Knox, “We embrace that we are setting a high bar to show what a renovation can be, what customer service should be,” and, adds Feeser, “what a high quality product is.”
Giving renaissance to a building whose previous incarnations include a bar, a beauty shop, a grocery, and a club, Knox hopes that additional properties will undergo revitalization and “other entrepreneurs will see that no time is better than now to make their mark in the community.”
Café Treme sells coffee, but it is clear it is more than a coffee shop.
The café is a labor of dedication, the fruit of a team of neighborhood pioneers with an inspired vision devoted to answering a community need. Celebrating coffee, conversation, and community, Café Treme’s place in the sun is a long-awaited bright spot where Treme neighbors and newcomers can gather together.
Looking for a spot in the sun throughout the winter months? Café Treme is located at 1501 St. Philip St. Its hours are Monday-Friday 7 am to 7 pm, and Saturdays 9-5. You can reach them at (504) 264-1132 or www.cafetreme.com.
