The Pacer

Issue date: 2/27/07 Section: Campus News

When Erik Markin graduated from UTM with a finance degree in 2001, he wanted to put his business knowledge to the test. Now, seven years later and with the help of his father, he's poised to open a coffee shop near campus.

Following short stints with Goodyear and in retail banking, Erik and his father and retired naval commander Ed Markin are set to open Baroque Dx Coffee Shop & Cyber Café at 7 a.m. Thursday at 117 Lovelace St., just off the northeast corner of campus. The two haven't set a closing time yet, but they did say the café would be open daily.

After toying with the idea of opening a near-campus coffee shop for about six years, a trip to Sorrento, Italy, last spring catapulted the father-son team's idea to reality. A year later, the pair is learning the difference between Colombian and Costa Rican coffee, installing espresso machines and concocting new coffee drink recipes.

"We saw people having espressos, macchiatos and everything at all these coffee shops in Sorrento and wanted to bring this here," Ed said. "About the only people doing that in this part of the world are college students."

Ed and Erik discussed bringing a coffee shop to Martin with a Seattle consultant, who shot down the Markins' first two locations and finally settled on the Lovelace Street spot. Despite being a prime near-campus location, there is irony in the Markins' choice. Before sitting vacant for more than two years, the future coffee shop location previously housed another coffee shop and Internet café.

But Ed said he thinks bad business decisions closed the previous coffee shop.

Still, he acknowledged the summer months may be slow for the coffee business because he defines his target market as college students.

"In the summer we'll do other things," Ed said. "We'll offer more iced drinks and plan for business being a little slower."

In addition to offering myriad freshly brewed coffees from varied world locations, the Markins will sell teas, pastries and gifts, as well as host open mics and poetry readings. But what distinguishes Baroque Dx from other Martin spots is its calming ambience.

Inspired by a London book shop, the Markins employed Lars Vanover, a Virginia Beach, Va.-based artist, to paint murals and portraits in a Baroque theme. With portraits of Baroque and Romantic era writers, artists and musicians lining the walls, the Baroque Dx uses warm earth tones to convey a rich, calming feel.

"We are looking for a fun, relaxing fit," Erik said. "It's going to be more fun to be here than in the library. In this area, if you're not a get-out-to-the-club or drinking person, you're limited to the locations you can go. We want to change that."

The Markins completely gutted the building, which they are renting from the Michael's Steakhouse owners with an option-to-buy provision, and are adding a 500-square-foot deck to the back entrance. Right until their doors open, the Markins are putting finishing touches on their shop.

"You wake up in the night dreaming the weirdest things, and realize it's just another coffee dream," Erik said, noting that the café's upcoming opening has consumed most of his thoughts lately.

Baroque Dx is buying most of its beans from the Nashville-based Bongo Java Roasting Co., which supplies fair-trade, organic coffee to several regional clients.

Erik said the coffee shop would like to coordinate its efforts with the university, not only by hiring students and offering a student scholarship, but also by cosponsoring events and poetry readings.

While the Markin duo said the learning curve may be steep for students and Martin residents concerning coffee and its associated jargon, they plan to host trivia events and games for school students on what makes an Americano-a drink with equal parts espresso and hot water-different from a Ristretto, an espresso drink made with less water, for instance.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools