Does having a neighborhood restaurant bar along with live music appeal to you? Recently, I spoke with the owner of Cary Street Cafe, Robyn Chandler, who shared her thoughts about having a successful local business. Her comments are italicized in dark green below.
1) How long have you been in business and are you the sole owner? If not, how many total owners are there?
I purchased CSC in '95---so almost 19 years now. I have always been the sole owner; I'm too stubborn to have a partner.
2) What gave you the idea to start the business?
I started bartending in college and worked at a neighborhood bar that also had live music and fell in love with the whole idea of doing something like that for a living.
3) What are your personal feelings about Grateful Dead and how did you decide on that theme?
I feel like being introduced to the whole Grateful Dead scene changed my life in an earth shattering way. I had always felt like I just didn't belong anywhere and then there's this whole community of people who are just like me, so it's not just about the music but about the music and the community and the relationships. That's what I wanted to recreate when I bought CSC and a Grateful Dead theme just seemed like the natural thing to do. I don't think the theme was intentional - it just kinds of happened like that.
4) What sorts of things do you like to achieve with having your business? For example, customer satisfaction, great entertainment, and/or having a reputation for great food, drinks and music?
I guess I would have to say all of it. I take a lot of pride in what we do here and at the end of the day if I feel like everyone who came through the doors or had food delivered was happy, then I can go home and relax, knowing I did my job. Of course that's keeping in mind that you can't make every single person happy.
5) How would you describe the types of various music presented at your cafe?
Eclectic if I had to use one word. Most of our music is unique, in more ways than one. would say 75% of the bands that play at CSC are local and most of those perform original music - we have a handful of "cover" bands but that is not the norm at all. We also have the Old-Time Jam on Sundays and just celebrated the 10 year anniversary of that. There are many bluegrass jams in the area but not too many strictly old-time jams and in the music world that is a big difference. We have pickers who drive from several hours away for the jam, I've seen 14 year olds play with the jam and later turn 20 and still playing but much better. Obviously, I tend to promote and host music that appeals to myself - you will never hear rap or heavy metal or new country (oh, except for that one time when we had this famous new country guy play!) and I don't allow DJ's to play. To me, being a DJ is not a musician. I could ramble all day about live music, sorry.
6) Besides yourself, who do you give credit for the success of your business? Also, if you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?
I give credit to all of my employees; if they have managed to keep working here then they must be doing all the right things. A lot of credit also goes to our regulars - the folks (like you!) who come often, enjoy yourselves, and speak highly of us to others. Word of mouth - the best or the worst kind of advertising. If I could change one thing about my business it would to finally be able to purchase the building instead of leasing. Even though I've been here for nearly 20 years I will never feel 100% settled in until I own the property.
7) How many employees do you have? 22
8) You have your own Employee Appreciation Day, don't you? Please explain what you do.
Our employee appreciation day is the only day of the year that we close. We all meet at CSC and take a safe ride (we took To the Bottom & Back Bus this year) out to Hadad's Water Park in Varina and I supply beer, booze, beverages, food and we have an 8 hour party that is talked about all year long. It gets sappy, it gets physical - so many dislocated shoulders and broken bones, bruises from all of the water activities and volleyball. It's the only day of the year when every single on e of us can gather and have a drink together and I cater and wait on them for a change.
9) What types of special events do you host?
We have had many benefits, for ALS, Ring Dog Rescue. We've also hosted a lot of political events here - rallies, meet and greets, etc. We've had memorial's for those who have passed away and countless baby showers. Once we hosted a late night after party for the well-known band Widespread Panic. That was the first and last time we ever did anything like that - there was a crowd of folks outside at 2 in the morning who wouldn't go away; it was crazy. Not to mention illegal.
10) Who painted your mural facing Mulberry Street? Please explain it.
That would be my friend Rick Cassidy. He first painted it in 1998 and about three years ago a vandal spray painted all over it so Rick came back and made it better than ever, so it was sort of a blessing in disguise. Our mural is photographed on a daily basis and especially students taking photography at VCU.
11) Please explain the types of food you offer. How did you decide on the menu, and how are daily lunch specials picked? Are lunch specials offered 7 days a week?
Our menu is meant to be casual and affordable. That being said, we don't buy or use any processed foods - everything is made from scratch, Daily lunch specials are picked according to what we may have any over abundance of and sometimes it might just be as simple as we know we are going to be super busy so lets run a special that's fast and easy. On the days that I'm cooking I tend to like to run the comfort food specials that need a bit more time to prepare. We run a lunch special Monday through Friday and a brunch special every Saturday and Sunday.
Cary Street Cafe offers a meatloaf lunch special that tastes as delicious as it looks!
12) Are you closed during all major holidays?
We are completely closed on the best major holiday of the year - Employee Appreciation Day. ;) We open on X-mas Day night and on Thanksgiving day night but are closed during the day for those two holidays. This year, for the first time ever, we are closed on x-mas eve.
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