A Different Way To Do Cafe

Of all the coffee shops located in the downtown Fredericton area, Urban Almanac General Store might be the most unique. What separates this coffee shop from others is that it’s not actually a coffee shop, not entirely at least.

The first thing you are likely to notice when walking in the store is the lovable door greeter who might let you give him a pet if he’s in the right mood.

The next thing you are likely to notice is that this store doesn’t specialize in just one thing. Behind the counter on the left is equipment to grind and brew coffee, on the right, there is a wall of tea and coffee and past that are a collection of bath bombs. Further back in the store is furniture and decor.

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“It’s kind of neat, it’s a little funky. It’s got good coffee so that’s important. . . and having a greeter dog is really good” says one customer. There is no denying that this store has a unique atmosphere. The store is made all the more interesting by the creative decorations.

“You don’t want one stagnant shop going for years and years. You got to keep it alive, keep it different. [The owner] generally just tries to fit whatever theme he’s doing. This one, when it was initially put up was supposed to be snowy because we had a winter display in the window, so then we added teacups as falling snow”, says employee Brandon Barrett.

Brandon says that when the store first opened about 20 years ago, they specialized in giftware, kitchenware, and furniture, but about years ago they got into tea and branched out to coffee from there. “[E]verything is changing after the recession. You have to evolve and adapt or shut down”. To some extent, the store has moved away from giftware and now focuses on high-end furniture, coffee supplies, and tea.

It may seem like a strange combination of items to have in one store, but hot drinks and furniture can work well together. People are allowed to sit on the furniture as they drink their tea or coffee which often helps the furniture sell itself to some degree.

As Spring moves forward, Urban Almanac is transitioning to their outdoor furniture and plans on adding self-mixing to their tea section. To sum up what separates this coffee shop from others in town: they aren’t afraid to be different and change things up, because trying new things is what they do.

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