Imagine a place in Provo where you can order tasty food, kick back, talk with friends, view film, or just do homework. If this sounds appealing to you, you’re not alone. The good news is that BYU student Nathan Robbins plans to open a new café that will be just that.
“For a long time, Provo has needed a place for people to grab some inexpensive, healthy food, sit, relax, do homework, listen to music, read good books and meet people who share the same interests,” Nathan said.?”The Pennyroyal Café will be a place for that to happen all day and into the wee hours of the night.”
With some help from volunteers, Nathan is turning what was once The Hookah Bar into The Pennyroyal Cafe, and plans to open it this September. Situated next to Coal Umbrella and other indie shops and venues in downtown Provo, the café is the next addition to the Downtown Provo movement. As Nathan put it, “The Velour and Muse music venues have brought a central music presence to the block, followed by Mode and then Coal Umbrella with great clothing boutiques.? The Sego Art Center brought Sego’s influence to the area and now we have the Pennyroyal in the middle of it all as a place for everyone to come together.”
More than just a restaurant, The Pennyroyal Café will have many other attractive features. These include free Wi-Fi internet, shelves of books to read, and over 3000 square feet for seating. The environment will utilize the natural ambience of the building, which includes15-foot ceilings, beautiful brick walls and hardwood floors. The café also has a basement that will be host to different events such as coffeehouse singer/songwriters, jazz trios, poets, and a projection system for independent film screenings.
Additionally, the cafe will target the starving college student/artist by offering food that is relatively inexpensive, but still of a healthy order. “We’re going to have a cereal bar, something that has been getting more and more popular in the US.? It’s basically all your favorite cereals with several milk options (soy and rice included), toppings (granola, fruit, etc.), yogurt and oatmeal,” Nathan said. The café will also offer organic and vegan/vegetarian food options.
Currently, Nathan has received a lot of help from volunteers with demolition, clean up, other odd jobs. Still, anyone interested in helping out with The Pennyroyal Café can visit their website for updates and info on the café, to find out more information. www.pennyroyalcafe.blogspot.com
