8 DEC 2008 The Strutt Cafe and Bar hosts an array of musical acts daily at the 773 W Michigan location in Kalamazoo. Formerly known as Dino's, The Strutt offers a coffee house atmosphere by day and a music venue for local and national acts by night.
NOV 2008 Lauren Smolen and Katie Carter take time between rushes to clean-up behind the barista counter. Baristas are trained to create latte art in drinks, which produces designs in the drink such as a heart or rosette.
DEC 2008 Jennifer Heberger attends to a long line drawn by a WMU Third Coast Writing Project Reading event. The readings are hosted by the graduate-student group, which publishes a bi-annual publication and supports English teachers as they develop their own writing-style.
strutt 6: 8 DEC 2008 James Miranda standing far right, Melina Moustakis, Kristian O'Hare, Laura Donnelly and Adam Pasen, WMU graduate students relax before a Third Coast reading. Moustakis organizes the literature readings for the group that exhibits work by fiction, poetry and playwrights from the university.
DEC 2008 Jazz night brings established musicians together for jam-session performances each Sunday at The Strutt Bar. Phillip Kudlo-guitar, Jarad Selner-saxophone, Leonard Duke-trumpet, Tod Klosterman-bass and Tommie Lochett-drums (not visible) played together as a group for the first time at the now weekly show.
DEC 2008 Owner Darren Bain entertains a crowded bar during the Sunday performance. The intimate venue crowds in visitors into an eclectic and detailed performance area that is separate from the coffee cafe.
DEC 2008 Jarad Selner, right, and Leonard Duke wail Sunday nights when not performing in other local projects.
On the Verge of Something Big
A five-piece jazz band wails under red stage lighting, while two men compete in varied dance competitions in the center of the room. This is just another Sunday night at The Strutt Café and Bar.
The venue located at 773 W. Michigan Ave in Kalamazoo, MI has locals taking notice of the hybrid coffee shop and bar. Any given night, live bands along with ardent scholars can be found united in the café or the adjacent bar.
The smoke-free business, a rarity in Michigan, boasts a study atmosphere during the day and live music by night. The historic building fits little more than 300 people, but the space allows for intimacy between artist and audience.
The building has held multiple businesses. In recent years, many failed in rapid succession. Locals remember the former Oakland Pharmacy and legendary Boogie Records with fervor.
A monthly tribute show to the former Boogie Records features established singer/songwriters both local and national. The shows feel like an intimate gathering between friends, each viewer immersed in the music.
This is The Strutt at its finest.
The immense success of such shows is still overshadowed by the issues of being a small business in a failing economy.
Restaurants have the highest failure rates of any small business with a 20 percent chance of lasting two years, according to a Dun & Bradstreet report. A packed crowd is still a surprise to everyone involved.
The continuously remodeled space is unrecognizable from its predecessors.
The Strutt offers specialty coffee drinks that are distinguished by latte art, which place designs in the milk for added flair. Customers ask for their favorite by name.
Weekend brunches host bluegrass bands and a specialized breakfast menu. Guests can enjoy ample breakfast burritos, while listening to an acoustic set by two graying men wearing insect hats. This is part of a monthly act for kids designed to attract families.
The Strutt is fraught with inconsistency while balancing on the verge of recognition.
Originally named Dinos and strictly a coffee shop, the name changed when the liquor license was finally obtained after grueling financial and legal set-backs.
“A liquor license is very difficult to get and difficult to hold on to,” said owner Darren Bain. “Kalamazoo is the perfect town to start a music venue. I wanted a dirty dive, but it was too pretty.”
Bain traveled all over the country for work and found Kalamazoo in the process. Adamant to get off the road, he said the brick building offered exactly the charm he was looking for.
After the previous business partner left, Kelly Schultz got involved. Schultz became a financial backer after the two began dating.
“It was a real gradual process,” Schultz said. “He’s always here and that’s how it started. I’ve always wanted to own a restaurant and my kids love it.”
Schultz works behind the scenes to keep the growing business running. She explained that the two want to keep the coffee lounge feel, but was very supportive from the start concerning Bain’s music vision.
An experienced musician from Seattle, Bain wants to expand the venue to hold a larger capacity. With a bigger stage and room for more people, he hopes to attract more national bands. A blur of energy, Bain fires out plans for the crucial expansion and renovation to anyone who can keep up.
“I would start it tomorrow if I could,” Bain said. “Some of it won’t be possible and some of it will be very possible.”
Bain hopes to expand with a microbrewery and recording studio in the basement.
Dealing with historic building commissions and boards, Bain is no stranger to the red-tape involved in such lofty plans. Yet, he is not one to dwell on obstacles. As he races through the building involved in daily pet projects, one may wonder how anyone can keep up.
This piece was printed in the City Life publication that is distributed by The Kalamazoo Gazette. The original article can be found at the link below.
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