December 12, 2017
Java Jay's offers coffee, wi-fi while
you're at laundromat in Crisfield
Laundry. It's the chore everyone loves to hate, especially if they must trek to the nearest coin laundry on a regular basis.
But
what if your coin laundry was sparkling clean, complete with flowers, and was
attached to a coffee shop where you could watch a giant flat-screen TV with
your coffee and pastry until the laundry was ready to fold?
Java
Jay's, a new coffee shop in uptown Crisfield, is that place.
You
don't have to be doing laundry to enjoy the perks at Java Jay's. But it surely
takes some of the drudgery out of the weekly chore.
Both
Java Jay's and Suds & Duds, the laundry next door, are owned by Crisfield
resident Jay Tawes.
Lisa
Ward, a Crisfield native who now lives in Salisbury, is the general
manager.
"We
offer breakfast, light fare, sweets and espresso beverages," she said. The
project is an effort to help renovate Crisfield's uptown area, and the
decor is designed to appeal to local nostalgia, reflecting the way it used to
be in Crisfield's heyday, the 1920s through the 1950s — original brick
walls are now exposed and a tin ceiling was added.
But modern amenities
like free wi-fi, a charging station and big-screen TV are also available
inside.
"The laundromat
next door is the cleanest one anywere," said Ward. "Jay keeps it
spotless."
"I love
Crisfield," she said. "It's my hometown. My brother and I volunteer
here all the time. When Jay called me and said he needed me, I came. The
building was just a shell when he first showed it to me. That was Oct. 6. Now,
just a few weeks later, we're open for business. This update is just
fantastic; it will help with the renovation of uptown Crisfield, and I
couldn't be happier about being a part of it."
The shop is open six days a week and closed
Sundays, but that will change in the spring, she said, when it will be open
seven days a week and Java Jays will host public social events like open
mics, acoustic performances and poetry readings.
A mural on the wall near the entrance to the
shop was painted by Carter G. Woodson Elementary School art teacher Robin
Daniels. It depicts Jenkins Creek in Crisfield, and features Hon Lawson's
shanty.
Chalkboards behind the counter cover up
windows in the original building, but with the brick wall of the building next
door just inches away, no light shines through.
"I'm up for whatever the community
wants," said Ward. "In the 1970s, Main Street was hopping. We had
McCrory's, Scher's, Sears and a few hardware stores."
It isn't everyone who is fortunate enough to
look forward to coming to work in the morning — and it's an early morning for
Ward at Java Jay's.
"I love coming to work," she said.
"I can't help but smile when I walk in here in the morning."
"I initially had no interest in the
building next to the laundromat," said Tawes. "But when it became
available, a Realtor called me to offer it, and I bought it."
Tawes has a vision for uptown
Crisfield: more foot traffic and more businesses. And he knows a lot
of laundry gets done there, especially on weekends.
"I asked myself, 'Why not open up the
wall between the two buildings?'" he said. "There was a place called
Carey's Newstand, it's gone now, torn down years ago. They sold fountain sodas,
penny candy and newspapers. On Sunday mornings you could find just about any
paper you wanted."
Tawes knows exactly how long it takes to cycle
through a load of wash — 23 minutes.
"I've got them for about an hour,"
he explained. "Shucks, why not bust through the wall and have a soda
fountain, coffee, sodas and candy for the parents and kids? Maybe throw in ice
cream, too?"
Just inside the coffee shop is a bookshelf filled
with children's books designed for all ages. With the addition of
"penny" candy and an old-fashioned soda fountain, youngsters should
find the laundromat ordeal less arduous.
As for the coffee, it's roasted locally and
ground fresh daily at Java Jay's. The water used to brew the coffee is
filtered. And the cost is reasonable at less than $2 a cup.
"Uptown needs more foot traffic and new
businesses," said Tawes. "And people do a lot of laundry, especially
on weekends."
He said people come from as far as Marion to
do their laundry because most wells in Somerset County produce water with iron.
And people who live nearby walk to the shop.
While the coffee and espresso beverages are
trendy, Tawes knows who his primary customers are.
"The key to success is to cater to uptown
clientele," he said. "The people who live here will now have a
place to go."
Tawes said he's been approached by a couple of
people who also want to do something for uptown Crisfield.
"Whatever we can do is a plus," he
said. "I'm happy to do whatever I can. We should talk to our customer base
and see what they need. I'm just trying to create a nice experience for
them."
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