Client Feature: The Java House

nat rosasco • May 4, 2016

What began as an idea cultivated by a college student in a sorority house has grown into The Java House , a widely popular coffee spot with several locations throughout Iowa City. In 1990, founder Tara Cronbaugh developed a passion for the coffee house ambiance while visiting family in Berkeley and Santa Cruz, California. As a student at the University of Iowa at the time, Tara realized that Iowa City lacked the inviting atmospheres that the small California coffee shops afforded their customers. Therefore, she decided to bring the coffee house concept to the Midwest.

The original downtown Iowa City location opened in 1993. It featured a brew bar, where every cup of coffee was brewed individually, so it was as fresh as possible. However, when we spoke with Tara, she reiterated, “While the coffee was really important, it wasn’t really what we were selling. We were selling something more spectacular.” They were selling the ambiance. The welcoming cafe was full of high-end antique furniture, including Victorian couches and Tiffany lamps that provided soft lighting. While guests were waiting the two or three minutes for their coffee to be poured, they had time to converse with one another. Magazines and newspapers were readily available in order to stimulate conversation. It was a place for guests to relax and call their home away from home.

The Java House, University of Iowa Papajohn Biomedical Institute
Walnut Tables by Reclaimed Table

We had the pleasure of working with The Java House at their University of Iowa Pappajohn Biomedical Institute location. Since this project was university-inspired, the design team was in need of furniture that was easier to maintain than antiques. However, Tara was adamant that no laminate or stainless steel would be used. She wanted real wood to keep the space warm, and we were able to provide that in the form of solid walnut tables.

We also worked on The Java House’s recent Mormon Trek location expansion, which now includes The Java House’s sister company, Heirloom Salad Company. Because the store was 18 years old, it was also due for a remodel. Tara was focused on ensuring the space catered to her many different types of customers, whether they were groups of friends meeting to catch up or single coffee-goers working on a computer. We provided custom walnut and white oak butcher block counters, miter fold tables, a large round table, butcher block benches, and a variety of custom steel bases. Our furniture’s high quality wood helped The Java House cultivate a space that carries on the homey ambiance that guests have become accustomed to enjoying. Plus, the wide range of pieces, from rectangular tables to rounds to benches to counters, allows the cafe to have niches for solo guests and pairs, along with seating for larger groups.

Java House Mormon Trek Location
Tables, Counters, and Benches by Reclaimed Table

The intention behind the remodel was not only to stay up to date in terms of the aesthetics of the space, but also to satisfy the challenges that come with current technology. For instance, Tara had to pay strict attention to the positioning of the power outlets. “It’s something you didn’t have to think about 18 years ago,” she said. Back then, the cafe had a phone booth, and customers weren’t fighting for a spot to plug in their battery-depleted laptops. Tara explained, “You have to be creative with how you set it [the space] up.” One solution was making the benches wide so outlets could be installed underneath to attract studiers. In the lunch area of the store, no outlets are available because the goal is to encourage groups to gravitate toward this area and engage in conversation. The strategic layout leads to The Java House’s ideal environment, one that is the perfect balance of relaxing, yet social.

With more locations in the works, it’s clear that ambiance really does sell. Here’s hoping The Java House ambiance is soon brought here to Chicago!

To see more of our restaurant projects, please visit our Portfolio.

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Inventory Sale

By nat rosasco • January 22, 2019

Reclaimed Table's huge selection of one-off, custom table tops are being sold at deep discounts at our Villa Park showroom. Find the durable tables you need for your next project, at prices you won't come across again!

Client Feature: Oak Tables & Benches for Navy Pier's Centennial Vision

By nat rosasco • July 17, 2018

Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier has always been a popular attraction since it opened just over 100 years ago in 1916. It currently welcomes 9 million guests per year. As explained on the Navy Pier website, the Pier was designed by architect Charles Sumner Frost and was originally based on architect’s Daniel Burnham’s “the People’s Pier” in his 1909 Plan of Chicago . It was originally known as “Municipal Pier,” but was renamed in 1927 in honor of the World War 1 Navy personnel who were housed there. As we blogged about a couple of years ago , Navy Pier has been undergoing renovations in honor of its “Centennial Vision” to reimagine and enhance the pier. While updating the pier with new programming and a greener landscape, this vision has also been attracting more local eateries ( like Tiny Tavern ) and shops, creating a space that’s more inviting to local Chicagoans. After providing pieces for the first phase of the remodel last year, we were pleased to continue to be part of this project for the recently completed phase two. Partnering with Gensler, we provided white oak tables and benches near the main entrance and for the brand new, 200,000 square foot Family Pavilion that features over 50 businesses. Fortunately, these pieces were created not only with their visual aesthetic in mind, but also to impressively withstand this sort of high traffic area. We also built the reclaimed red and white oak blade signs flanking all of the restaurants and shops, which creates a unified look within the complex. Much like the Pier, these signs have an interesting, rich history behind them. The red and white oak wood used to make the signs were actually horse fences on a farm in Mercy County, Kentucky that dates back to the late 1800s. Mercer county was one of the first settlements in the state, and the farm itself, Shawnee Springs, was originally over 2,000 acres. In the 1970s the farm was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. We knew the Navy Pier project was the right one for this specific wood-- historic wood for an historic landmark. (See our other applications of reclaimed red and white oak Kentucky horse fence here .) Check out photos of our tables, benches, and signs at the recently updated and unveiled Pier below. And if you’re in the Chicagoland area, you can check them out for yourselves in person, along with a whole host of entertainment on the Pier. Interested in some durable tables and benches for a high-traffic area? Contact us here to get started on your next project.

Aging Booker's Bourbon: Finding the 'Sweet Spot' for Flavor

By nat rosasco • June 18, 2018

When it comes to aging bourbon, Booker’s small batch bourbon has the process literally down to a science. Currently produced by the Jim Beam distillery, it was Jim Beam’s grandson, Booker Noe, who founded this brand in 1992 with bourbon from barrels he personally selected. According to the Booker’s Bourbon website, Booker was actually raised at a Kentucky distillery and brought his family’s six generations of master distillery knowledge to his bourbon batches. How does Booker’s perfectly age their bourbon? As we pretty much all know, bourbon ages in wooden barrels. When the weather becomes hot and humid, like it does during those sticky Kentucky summers, the wood expands and absorbs the bourbon, allowing for a chemical interaction between the bourbon and the wood. In colder weather, the wood contracts and the bourbon escapes the barrel’s walls. This interaction changes the spirit’s taste and color. The longer bourbon is in the barrel, the smoother the taste, (up to a certain point, that is). Barrels are kept in rackhouses where temperatures can easily be regulated. Rackhouses were originally built out of stone with several wooden floors and an exposed dirt basement to control humidity and large temperature swings. The windows were designed to keep the buildings well-ventilated.