New Biz Oly: Bar Francis

Introducing you to new locally-owned businesses…

BAR FRANCIS

Michael Elvin opened Bar Francis, honoring his son Miko’s middle name, in December 2012 during what Michael calls ‘the dark of night with only word-of-mouth’ to bring in customers. Today, the large, white-walled open space housing Bar Francis is not just a coffee bar, but the popular performance venue and art gallery for Northern, and Michael no longer needs a second job. The outside wall features an intricate mural by artist Jean Nagai, while the café, entered through a loading door from the parking lot beside Fish Tale Brewery, offers expansive white walls filled with art by many artists to fund the Olympia All Ages Art Project.

“I always wanted my own space to do things my way,” Michael says. “I wanted to be involved in the creative end of this business. I made coffee and cocktails around here a long time; bartending at Thekla for 8 years, opening the Water Street bar, managing it for one year, training baristas for Batdorff and Bronson, managing Dancing Goats for a while, then moving over to Olympia Coffee Roasting and Espresso Parts as general manager for four years, hiring, training, working as a barista. Now, I have my own place and I enticed my wonderful barista Fraoigh (pronounced Free) to join me after working with her at Dancing Goats and Olympia Coffee Roasters.”

Michael smiles, “I’m a huge coffee nerd, but I am not just obsessed with coffee…I love beverage. It’s my plan to add other crafted, fantastic drinks to the menu, so slowly we are adding new things, like Shrubs. Shrubs are old-timey drinks that became popular decades ago…vinegar-based beverages steeped (or not) with fruit and added syrup to make mixers or refreshing seltzers or sodas. I use the commissary at Old School Pizza to make and sell Shrubs using seasonal fruits and homemade vinegars, different blends for different fruits. I make Shrubs like blackberry with oak-cider vinegar that has a nice, crisp taste with a hint of oak, or one of my staples, a grapefruit Shrub using distilled white vinegar. I’ve got a surprising cucumber-jalapeno Shrub, a cherry tomato and basil Shrub…I’m not afraid to experiment! And, I am always open to suggestions on blends…one was the cucumber jalapeno, which turned out to be delicious, very subdued and quiet.”

One of the things one hears about Bar Francis is that it offers delicious coffee. It’s true. Michael says, “We tasted a lot of coffees for a long time, experimented in the Espresso Parts lab, narrowed choices to ten, then to five, and finally decided on the roast from Four Barrels in San Francisco. It won hands down. We sell it here in whole bean and offer blends too. We also like other single origin or guest roasts such as Roseline of Portland, Blue Beard of Tacoma, and Slate of Seattle, which just won an award in a recent barista competition. “

Michael adds, “We have music and shows happening here all the time. Go online for the lineup. It’s an all-ages performance and arts place!”

Hours 7 AM – 2 PM weekdays

8AM – 3 PM Saturday and Sunday

Next to Fish Tale Brew Pub

www.olympiaallages.org

barfrancis.com

new-biz-oly is written by Holly Graham. To suggest a new locally-owned business to be featured, please email .