Old Cuss, New Venue
South Salt Lake coffeehouse aims to be a singer-songwriter magnet.
By Thomas Crone
There's no shade being thrown when suggesting that Chrixtian Fyffe and Brent'Lee Williams have really cool, interesting, not-everyday-kinda names. The business that the two have been running since the very last days of 2021 could be described in some of the same terms.
It's cool, a sharp-looking coffee shop that also offers makers of various sorts a chance to sell their wares inside the walls of Old Cuss Coffee (2285 S. Main St). Everything from books to denim shirts to salsas are available, to the tune of 35 vendors being represented.
It's interesting in that their business model includes not just a coffee shop, but a restaurant that serves vegan fare. Though that's an overall growth market in SLC, they're also working on a variety of ways to reduce waste, from hand-building many of their fixtures to monitoring kitchen scraps.
And it's not everyday that a business with as many goals, aspirations and philosophies pops up, and also includes the intention of being a mainstay of the local music scene. That process has begun in earnest with a Friday night music series that aims to rotate musicians through the room three or four times a year. Currently, that means a one-hour slot from 6:30-7:30 p.m., though they plan to adjust that later in 2022, when Apex Brewing moves into their building complex.
Interestingly, that timeframe has meant that a lot of families have been able to come in, with kids in tow. Fyffe says that there's a market for a room in which children can attend, "but a lot of people don't cater to it. Most parents have their kids on a Friday and want to do something together as a family, but they don't have a spot where kids can come."
The two are also aware that in a town like Salt Lake City, an LDS customer base is all around. So they've adapted their drinks menu to include a number of non-caffeinated drinks, too.
Of course, all of this doesn't matter if the room doesn't work for music. Many a restaurant has tossed a tall chair in a corner, proclaiming it the kingdom of that night's performer. In some cases, that means that a player's lost in the shuffle, literally pushed off into the room's margins. At Old Cuss, Friday's solo or duo act is set up right in the middle of the room, a vintage microphone and a single amp supplying enough sound to make the artist heard.
Williams, a longtime musician/songwriter who'll actually play as part of Old Cuss' rotation, says that he'll even go to the lengths of, let's call it, "volume enforcement" within the small room. "It's a safe space to get crafted drinks and listen to music," Williams suggests. "An inclusive environment for everybody."
This summer, he and Fyffe plan to build out their patio and with a garage-style door that allows for an indoor/outdoor vibe, they'll have their singers playing outside soon enough. Also on deck is a Saturday open mic. The opening of Apex within the same basic footprint will offer them an opportunity to continue building up their acoustic music programming.
"Utah's not necessarily been known for its coffee industry," Fyffe says. "And we want to change that and make Utah known for coffee. And with music? That, as well. For a lot of bars, they hire a musician to add to the environment they already have. This is a night that's dedicated to the artist."
Nick Passey (of Folk Hogan) will play Old Cuss on Friday, May 13 at 6:30. No cover, all-ages.
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