April 5, 2010
Lamplighter is Thriving
12 Comments »When we first reported, Lamplighter had just opened their coffee shop and our neighborhoods seemed like a good target for their weekly house-roasted coffee bean deliveries (by bike). Four months later, Lamplighter is swarming with customers, many singing their praises over sandwiches as well as espresso drinks, and ByrdParkers are beating a path across the footbridge to the neighborhood’s new pet restaurant. Yes, it’s the closest place to get a meal or a cup of coffee (from Maplewood and Shields, it’s only1/4 mile to Lamplighter’s front door).
photo from Lamplighter's Facebook page
Other notable items are putting Lamplighter on the map:
- Country Style doughnuts, delivered daily.
- Muffins baked every morning (blueberry and banana nut are both to die for).
- They open at 6am (!) and close at 8pm (7am opening on weekends).
- An art gallery/bathroom.
- Outdoor sitting area.
- An enormous chalkboard wall (and chalk) in a space that can contain even the rowdiest of kids
- A bike rack (the place has kinda been adopted/founded by the bike scene)
- Relative quiet. Generally slow moving traffic.
- An empty bus-barn nearby to contemplate.
- Whoopie-Pies.
- Hangover cure herbal tea.
- A seriously esoteric magazine rack.
- Board games and such.
- A balance of meat and veggie options.
- Low-tech. No Twitter acct. No slick social media marketing. Just a community coffee shop. For instance, they have events, but you have to look on the bulletin board to figure that out. Another reason to visit.
- Free – WIFI
- Enthusiastic and friendly owners: Noelle, Zach, and Jen.
12 Responses to “Lamplighter is Thriving”
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Please remember that you are talking to your neighbors.
Sounds great I wish we could get the same sort of thing right across the river in Westover Hills or Forest Hill.
Solar- thermal or PV.
Isn’t it donuts? Seriously, we love that place. We buy all of our beans there and we have breakfast there almost every Friday.
The bumper sticker on the display at the mothership says DOUGHNUTS while the sign out front says DONUTS.
As long as I am chief content generator here (which I hope isn’t too much longer) typos will be prevalent. Personally, I spell things by sounding them out. Dough and Nut. It’s interesting that the sign at Country Style Doughnuts says Donuts, because the Google entry says doughnut. Also, Krispy Kreme’s uses “doughnuts” consistently on it’s website. “Donut” might actually be a corporate invented word, coined by some entrepreneur named Dunkin, probably.
Anyhow, I think a Lamplighter update for the neighborhood is a really timely thing. The weather compels us to walk places and this coffee shop has a lot more to offer than Byrd Parkers probably realize. While conveniently located coffee that’s roasted in-house is one thing to crow about, the muffins and sandwiches might be their best products. I’ve picked up togo food and took it home to split with my wife for breakfast or dinner on the cheap. And where else can you find Mexican Cokes? The only thing I’d askto be changed is a stop-sign on Parkwood at the Addison intersection. But, that may be a civic effort for another blog post.
Doughnut is the British word. I always thought Donut was the Americanized version!
I would love to brainstorm an effort to make the footbridge more attractive. It currently receives a fair bit of graffiti and trash. what if we (re: someone with artistic ability) painted it?
It could be a joint effort of the BPCL and Lamplighter.
Maybe a yellow-brick road? something fun…
John B: I’ve been sketching that post up on my mind. Let me work on a draft and we’ll see what kind of discussion ensues. I do think that there is also a role for the City to play (trash cans, signage, someone with a broom, etc), but the community may have to lead the charge.
Also, Sarah G. is Brittish, for anyone needing a little more context.
thank you to all of our byrd park neighbors for welcoming us to the community. as a side note, we have recently expanded our offerings to include locally baked gluten free/ wheat free breads for our breakfast and afternoon sandwiches. and thank you to jerry at lucilles bakery for working with us to meet the needs of customers.
The idea for painting the footbridge is a great. I always thought it would be neat if VCU’s art department (or whomever) decided to paint interior sides of the various bridges crossing the Downtown Expressway, like UVA’s students have done with Beta Bridge.
Info and photos of Beta Bridge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_Road#Beta_Bridge
The civic league meeting on Saturday expressed the need for City trash cans (the nice street ones) on both sides of the bridge as a way to help reduce the litter and a campaign might be under way to officially do an “adopt a spot” for the bridge.
PS Both Crossroads establishments sell Mexican Cokes but they taste better at Lamplighter.
The idea for painting the footbridge is a great. I always thought it would be neat if VCU’s art department (or whomever) decided to paint interior sides of the various bridges crossing the Downtown Expressway, like UVA’s students have done with Beta Bridge.
Info and photos of Beta Bridge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_Road#Beta_Bridge