Cafe Huntington

Project Description:
River and Rail Bakery is an artisan bakery featuring handcrafted breads and pastries, and locally-roasted, direct-trade coffee and hand-pressed espresso. We opened March 1 of this year and have a stable base of regular customers. We are located at 210 11th Street, inside the Cabell-Huntington Visitors’ Center Building at Heritage Station. Our warm and homey ambiance has drawn upon a wide range of clientele. On Saturdays, we feature Open Mic Bakery Jam, a family friendly opportunity for local musicians to sing, play and read to the public. Some customers have stated the bakery has a community center atmosphere, which is exactly the goal I set when opening. We strive to welcome customers and visitors to Huntington.

Project Importance:
Many of the products people expect in an artisan bakery require refrigeration. Pies and tartlets with custard bases need to be kept refrigerated to avoid spoilage. Macarons, a trendy pastry sold in many European bakeries, would require a refrigerated case. People also expect, even in a homey atmosphere, for the food to be presented in a professional manner. I feel we are failing in this aspect and this is the best way to remedy the problem.

How Money Will Be Used:
At the time we opened, we were unable to afford a product case designed for bakeries, with refigeration. Most of the equipment we purchased was used, including the case we bought which is a simple retail case. The case is scratched, has no refrigeration and the lights inside it did not work. We have made the case work the best we could, but it does not really fill our needs. The money from CAFE Huntington would be used to buy a legitimate bakery case, preferably with a curved front and refrigeration. I have found new cases that would fit our needs for $1500-2000. I would ask Create Huntington to match the CAFE grant, if possible, and could make up the remainder from the bakery budget.

3 Month Goal:
The case would greatly expand our offerings in the bakery. We would add custard based pies and fruit tartlets. We could make brioche with pastry cream, and add whipped cream to desserts. We could introduce Huntington to the wonderful world of macarons, with their myriad of flavor combinations and colors. And we could utilize our day-old bread by making bread puddings. The photo of a case attached is an example of one kind of case I could use. The very colorful photo shows macarons.

Project Description:
We have just released a short run of Huntington local music samplers showcasing the tremendous variety of talent in our city. There is a lot happening here musically, and it deserves more exposure. This collection of high quality local recordings will allow people to easily discover great music happening in our city. Each artist will effectively promote the rest of the artists on the sampler this way, resulting in a great new step forward for the local music community. It will build community and create excitement for what we have here. We have already experienced tons of positive feedback and excitement about the samplers after a run of only fifty copies, and once we distribute several hundred more, the possibilities will start to get even more exciting.

Project Importance:
This project is important because it can give our residents pride in having something and being a part of something. It is a tangible testament to the passionate work of many talented local musicians. It can open the eyes of Marshall students to exciting things happening downtown. It can create a willingness in local music fans to believe in our city and invest in it. It can create countless new fans for all of these musicians, resulting in greater success for all of them and more profitability for local venues. It can create a buzz regionally that exciting things are happening in Huntington. It can result in more local content on our local radio stations. It can build community and provide a spark to local culture.

How Money Will Be Used:
We will use the money to create a run of several hundred more copies of the samplers, which include local artists AC30, Sasha Collette, Deadbeats & Barkers, Sly Roosevelt, Coyotes in Boxes, Bradley Jenkins, Jordan Jefferson, Party or Die!, Qiet, Wilbur By The Sea, Sir-Boy, Erik Woods, and Bad Employees. With plenty of copies to work with, we will strategically distribute samplers to be given away at local businesses and on campus. We also hope to get plays on local and regional radio stations. This will give exposure to all of the bands and to Huntington in general, and could also increase the influence of our local bands in surrounding regions. We’re trying to create a movement for Huntington’s music scene.

3 Month Goal:
It will directly fund the purchase of blank discs, card stock, CD sleeves, and the printing of the inserts. It will allow hundreds more copies of the samplers to be created, resulting in a broader reach to radio stations, local businesses, college students, and local venue patrons, and ultimately resulting in much wider recognition of Huntington’s local music scene. The more college and high school students we reach with these samplers, the more fans we create for our bands, and the more young people become excited and invested in our city. This could result in more of them staying here instead of moving away, giving our city’s revitalization process a real boost.

Project Description:
To go from starving artist to feeding artist. Presently developing a small business where not only do I get to inspire and create, but providing a venue for others to display their creative spirit. Would like to expand the business, creating a venue where artist can display their works, and hopefully profit from their creativity. Our small shop is presently displaying the works of three artist, works including paintings, jewelry, sculpture, mask, and textiles. Our little shop also has an artist working area, where art, technique, creativity, and inspiration can be shared. We hope to expand to include a diversity of art forms and artist.

Project Importance:
How many artist have their pieces, cluttering their closets and the corners of their bedroom. Instead of collecting dust, I would provide a venue, where art could be displayed, viewed, and hopefully find a good home. Not only would this give me the opportunity to expand my creativity, but help others show theirs as well. My vision is not only do artist get to display and hopefully profit, but interact with each other, work together, create, inspire, and what we term level up.

How Money Will Be Used:
Any funds received will go directly into business. First will be the purchase of supplies in the artist area, which will include, paints, jewelry supplies, and other material. Creating a better and more efficient display area, presently we have two hanging walls, tables, and one small display case, would like to improve hanging area and purchase a larger display case. We would also like to expand on our web-site, to not only display present works in the shop, but also let it be an invitation to others to work with us.

3 Month Goal:
First month we would work on creating a better display for local artist, these improvement would include improving hanging, lighting, and display cases. By improving this area, we will be creating a better experience for our customers, but possibly make us more attractive to other local artist.

Second month we will focus on purchasing supplies and expand our media. Our small artist area is always in need of supplies and by expanding our local and web presence, we hope to attract more customers but artist as well. We also would like to expand our web-site to include e-commerce, right now we are using etsy.com to sell online.

Third month we will be making preparations to take it on the road, come spring and summer we plan on vending at festivals and fairs. We will need funds for vending fees, attendance, and supplies. By attending events we hope not only to sell, but also interact with others, experience what others are creating, and get the word out and expand our client base.