Tired of dealing with a new barista every day at Starbucks? Well, meet Rick Johnson, owner and operator of the newest addition to Charlottesville’s already long roster of java shops: Fox Park Coffee Bar, located on The Corner.
After finding that he enjoyed barista-ing more than bartending (stimulants > depressants?) at a previous job, Rick decided to open up his own place, modeled after the cafes he visited in Rome. The grand opening is either today or tomorrow, depending on when the paperwork gets done and assuming no coffee gets spilled on it.
If your finely-tuned neuroses/foodie-ism require you to try a different type of tea every day of the month, Fox Park has you set through at least mid-November; with 30 different teas and over 30 different syrups to go with your Italian roast espresso, you might even be able to make it into December. And if your New Years resolution calls for some serious good karma, you can even start experimenting with Rick’s different roasts of Fair trade Haitian coffee.
The cafe has indoor and outdoor seating (enjoy it while you can!), baked goods from the Baker’s Palette, and free WiFi–perfect for frequent checking of cVillain.
Despite working long hours alone (7am-7pm Monday-Saturday, 7am-2pm Sunday), Rick has enough caffeine and amiability to get through the day; let’s hope it’s enough to get through those difficult first few weeks of business, too.
Fox Park Coffee Bar
1325 West Main, Shop 3
(Located behind Cavalier Tan, near El Patio of Baja Bean Co.)
Popularity: 5% [?]
Tagged as: Charlottesville, Coffee, Local Business, Restaurants, The Corner
TrueChew, get us some pictures! Are you working there?
Am I the only one who finds shameless plugs absurd?
I welcome the addition of new coffee joints–especially high quality ones–but couldn’t you wait to post until there was something to review? This reads like and outright advertisement, and my impression is that cVillain shouldn’t be used for free advertising…hence the folks willing to pay for banners.
That said, best of luck to Rick. Good teas, coffees, and baked goods should make Starbucks very, very afraid.
Captain Renault: Rick, there are many exit visas sold in this café, but we know that you’ve never sold one. That is the reason we permit you to remain open.
Rick: Oh? I thought it was because I let you win at roulette.
Captain Renault: That is another reason.
I double checked the author and it was a UVA student, so I didn’t think that this was a plug. Should we bury this post? I thought it was a little advertisingish, but I hoped that the author was just interested in participating in our community.
Let me know people. I will banish this post to cVillain’s hell if you agree.
No, don’t bury it. Simply express your opinion about the article and mention what you think community standards should be in the future.
And I do want to participate in this community. I stopped in and talked with a very cool guy about the state of coffee on the Corner and in the city, and wanted to help spread the word about his new place.
Slippery slope.
By the way, hi everyone… I’m kind of working a lot right now. I know you didn’t miss me too much, and I am still totally secure with myself. Outwardly.
To let readers of cVillain know: I had nothing to do with the original posting, but I appreciate its positive overtone. The shop is now open, and I would appreciate any feedback, especially from those of you who are espresso savvy. Stop by and tell me what you think!
Rick Johnson (of Fox Park, not Rick’s Cafe)
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