Prince Of Petworth » Cafe 14U Reopening in Two Weeks

Cafe 14U Reopening in Two Weeks

DSCN0292, originally uploaded by Prince of Petworth.

If you walked by 14th and U Street this weekend you may have seen some activity going on in the 14U cafe. I had reported back on May 1st that 14U had temporarily closed so I was surprised to see some activity. I was also a bit confused when I saw some bags in the front of the store. So as I’m peeking into the store one of the owners pops out and invites me in. The owners, Marlene and Kyle Shaw were super nice and explained to me what was going on. It turns out there are some pretty significant changes going on. In order to make the spot profitable they’re going to turn the spot into a cafe and boutique. And as you can see from the window the boutique will be very heavily focussed on hand bags as well as custom made jewelry. But there will also be coffee, smoothies and other drinks. Unfortunately, the layout of the store will change as there will be less seating to accommodate more display space. I have to admit I find the change to be a bit disappointing but I understand the need to be profitable. And given the fact that the owners were so nice I certainly do wish them luck. Also, the fact that they were considering turning the spot into a dentist office makes me appreciate the Cafe and Boutique choice much more. (Interestingly, Marlene is a also a dentist but she has a “passion for fashion”.) And on another potentially good note they may apply for outdoor seating which would make up for the limited seating inside.

If you have questions you can email the owners at marleneandkyle@yahoo.com

So, what do you think of the new plans?

A photo of owners Marlene and Kyle Shaw and some of their bags after the jump.

Category: U Street

By: Prince Of Petworth | 08 June 2008 10:06 PM | No Comments

maeella

Handbags are great and all but 14U was awesome and I really liked that you could almost always find seating…

June 9, 2008 at 9:50 am
nate

I had one of the worst smoothies ever from there. I threw away before I could cross the street.

June 9, 2008 at 10:55 am
Erin

Just seems like another boring “scheme” to me. We’ll see if the coffee improves. Who cares about handbags?

June 9, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Kalia

Yeah and to be honest, I’m not that big a fan of these.

June 9, 2008 at 3:02 pm
John

I’m not a business owner so I can’t say I know exactly what they’re going through. These are tough times for most. Let’s not be too quick to judge when someone is trying to save their business. They noticed something was not working so they’re working on it. They could have closed it all together for good. At least, they help provide work for someone and help bring hope that things will get better in this economy.

June 9, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Park Road Guy

Whenever I see cafes expanding their product line to include a random assortment of things, I expect the end is near. Take a look at Mayorga on 14th. Places in this town that succeed stick to what their good at and keep it simple. This move is suicide for sure.

June 9, 2008 at 8:44 pm
IMGoph

they’re not going to be able to get more than 2 seats outside, if they’re able to get anything at all…

June 10, 2008 at 7:00 pm