Press

© 2005 Sarasota Herald Tribune
April 12, 2205
by Lauren Mayk

New coffee shop to serve more than the average joe

Betsy Nelson has some lofty goals for her new coffee shop and wine bar -- ones that have nothing to do with her business's books or products.

Nelson, who closed up her Sarasota psychotherapy practice to launch Metro Coffee & Wine, wants 711 S. Osprey Ave. to become a place where people gather to "have informal conversations about Sarasota's future."

On Metro Coffee's Web site, Nelson talks of creating a "third place" that would supplement her customers' home and work environments. She believes that multicultural, multiage, multiethnic conversations in a social setting can help create relationships and understanding much more successfully than any meetings could do.

The desire to create that diverse gathering place is part of Nelson's three-pronged reasoning for her career change.

"What I hadn't realized going into the psychotherapy business is that it would end up being pretty lonely," Nelson said.

The conversations with her clients ended with her working hours, and Nelson found herself longing for more social interaction.

And of course, there's the longing for good coffee.

"As soon as I get to Seattle or San Francisco, the first thing I do is go in search of a good cup of coffee," she said.

Nelson plans to get her coffee for the shop from Chicago's Intelligentsia and North Carolina-based Counter Culture.

In addition to coffee, wine and lunch fare, Nelson plans small plates for Thursday through Saturday and a bar menu for some weekday evenings.

Metro Coffee, a 1,500-square-foot cafe Nelson plans to open in mid-May, will be in a portion of a former Glauser automotive dealership on the south edge of downtown Sarasota.

>> Read The Full Article
>> Return To Press Page