Downtown Charlottetown Café expands with new renovations
The Gallery has more room for sweet treats, warm coffee, and homely vibes
Artworks line the brick wall.
Lattes drip into ceramic mugs.
Busy workers click and clack on keyboards, pensioners talk about old times, and baristas take orders with a smile.
Baked treats beckon customers in a brand-new display case, the rough edges of a recent renovation yet to be smoothed over.
The Gallery Coffee House and Bistro opened on Feb. 3 after closing on Jan. 18 for long awaited renovations.
Jessica Fritz, co-owner of the café, was delighted to see the renovations finally come through.
“We chose this time of year because it’s usually the quietest,” she said. “We had issues for two weeks with the thermostats that regulate the heating, so we went from being super-hot to being super cold.”
The renovations include the relocation of a wheelchair accessible bathroom that was originally next to the baked goods and sales counter.
The former bathroom is now an extra space to display baked goods, as well as some open space to give baristas more area to work in.
There are now three bathrooms in the main area, an upgrade from the one they had before.
“These renovations have been our mind for probably two years or so,” Fritz said.” The main reason was the washroom that was next to the counter, we wanted to move it from there and we also wanted to add a third washroom because that increases legal capacity for a restaurant.”
Fritz hopes that more events can be hosted at The Gallery with the bigger space and even has ideas for further improvements and expansions at the café.
She wishes to book more evening private functions now that the café’s capacity has been increased.
In addition, there’s a new space that Fritz calls ‘The Nook’, a small alcove made from leftover space during the renovations.
“It’s a cozy little place with benches and shelving and fun lighting,” Fritz said. “Kind of like a retreat from the busyness of downtown.”
“So essentially we made this place a little bit more cozier, homey.”
Edward MacLean, a Charlottetown resident welcomes the new additions to one of his favourite coffee spots.
“I’ve been coming here for a year now, it’s nice to see,” MacLean said. “I come here a lot, Sundays after church or with friends.”
“More space means I can be further away when I want to be alone,” he joked. “But I’d have more room for friends.”
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