“When is Speakeasy opening?”
“Any update on Speakeasy?”
“I thought I saw someone at Speakeasy, are they open?”
If my text and Facebook messages are any indication, Speakeasy Coffee Bar from the owners of Mugs Cafe is going to be as hot as their fantastic cappuccino. So to answer all your questions, it opens July 1, although I heard a rumor the doors are unlocked and the coffee is flowing right now.
Most of Saline County left after that last sentence and are on their way there now. For the rest of you reading, you are going to find a lot of familiarity if you have ever enjoyed a cup in Argenta’s Mugs Cafe. The beautiful reclaimed wood tables made by Wellsmade return for an encore, but even more prominent is the use of the same wood on the counter which does a great job to tie the place together.
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Speakeasy is considerably smaller than Mugs. That will likely make seating a hot commodity in Main Street Bryant. The 28 that could easily expand to 32 or so seats will stay full most of the time, Owner Michael Carpenter says he is considering some limited outside seating as well. Even with the relatively small location it never feels too crowded with plenty of natural light flowing and generous space between seats. Two small bars line the front windows along with a couple of smaller 4 top tables. The remainder of the seating is two long tables that could easily accommodate 8 each and a final 4 top.
The smallish size has an impact on the food available at Speakeasy vs Mugs as well. A smaller kitchen space means the food menu is limited and carefully calculated to maximize quality and make use of the space. You will not find a wide assortment here, but everything on the menu is very good.
Big winners are going to be the prosciutto and fig sandwich, grilled cheese and jam, and Mug’s Cafe favorite smoked salmon club at lunch. The steel-cut oats and lox & bagel highlight the breakfast items.
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The coffee is as good as always, something Mugs has perfected in the Argenta location. The addition of french press coffee is what excites us the most. The trend in pour over coffee has dominated most coffee shops lately, which had the biggest impact on the few that served the rich, often creamy flavors that come out of a properly made french press cup. Hopefully we will see more local shops (including our beloved Mugs) add this to the lineup soon.
In all Speakeasy will quickly become a place of comfort for Bryant and all of Saline County. Especially once some artwork goes up on the walls and the smell of coffee seeps perfectly into the wood tables. It settles in like a well-worn baseball glove and hopefully is the next step in the long desired local dining growth south of the border.
Speakeasy Coffee Bar
3411 Main St Suite 6, Bryant
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