by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
“It’s a formula.”
That’s how Diane Rukab, owner of The Brick Coffee House, explains what has made her breakfast and lunch spot at the Ed Ball Building a success.
She brewed the first pot of coffee and opened the door for the first time almost two years ago. Since then The Brick has become a regular destination for people who work in the building and surrounding area. It has also been discovered by people who come Downtown only occasionally to visit the City offices in the nine floors above the coffee shop.
Rukab is a Downtown veteran who spent quite a bit of time in her parents’ sandwich shops and restaurants. They operated a shop in the AT&T Tower when it was called the “BellSouth Building” and also owned “The Oasis” which was a landmark in Hemming Park in the 1980s.
“I grew up in the business,” she said. Then she got married and had three children which led to spending 10 years as a “stay-at-home mom.”
Then Rukab wanted to get back into the business world. She tried a few different things like teaching at a preschool and working in a mortgage office, then made the decision to go back to her roots and find the right loxation to open a coffee and sandwich shop.
“It took me two years looking around Downtown to find this spot,” she recalled. “I’m pretty picky.”
In light of the shop’s name, it’s no surprise there’s a lot of masonry in the decor. Rukab explained that when she leased the space, it was an empty shell with an exposed brick wall. The wall wasn’t in the best condition but, “It was the thing that really stood out,” said Rukab.
You smell the aroma as soon as you walk in the building’s Adams Street entrance, so the coffee was the initial draw that attracted customers. Many people who work in the building would stop in for a cup of coffee or espresso and a pastry, bagel or brownie before they went upstairs. A few hours later they’d be back hungry for lunch. The Brick serves Boar’s Head sandwiches as well as soup and salads and offers a daily special. There’s even a vegetarian burger and a veggie wrap on the menu.
The coffee and sandwiches complemented each other and helped the business grow quickly.
“The people who came in for coffee discovered our food and the people who came in for lunch discovered our coffee,” said Rukab.
As for her formula for success, Rukab said, “Make your customers your friends, give them great food and serve them quickly.”
That applies in particular to the lunch crowd because, she noted, “People who work Downtown have no more than an hour for lunch, and it’s the same hour for everybody.”
She also said opening the shop brought back a lot of happy memories.
“Downtown has always been part of my life and I wanted to be part of its revival. It’s fun to see people who used to come into our restaurants years ago and I’ve made hundreds of new friends. It’s also great to be so close to the new courthouse. We’ll be ready for even more business when it opens.”
mmarbut@@baileypub.com
356-2466