Fat Face cafe will leave Bows & Arrows vintage boutique Nov. 30, being replaced by a new operator looking to stretch his legs in the restaurant business by bringing in more hot plates and late-night eats.
One of the major draws to Fat Face, according to Bows & Arrows co-owner Trisha Rhomberg, were the popsicles.
“Since she’s been at Bows, her popsicles blew up, and they’re in demand everywhere, and they’re kind of like her hot seller, her golden little goose egg, and so she’s doing the right thing by focusing all of her energy into expanding that part of the business,” Rhomberg said.
Fat Face owner Jaymes Luu shared the news with her fans in a letter she posted on her Facebook page.
“I feel fortunate to have been able to work with the creative and energetic staff of Bows & Arrows, and it has been a complete and absolute pleasure to serve such a loyal and enthusiastic customer base,” Luu said in the letter.
The popsicles will still be available at Bows & Arrows, and the cafe space will be opened to a new operator.
Rhomberg said she sees it as a natural progression in the Bows & Arrows goal of being a showcase for locals.
“Yes, we have art, and yes, we have great music and cool local designer wares, but chefs are artists as well,” she said. “I’m excited to bring on someone whose dream job is to open a restaurant, and this can be the step before you open your own restaurant.”
Some of the significant upfront costs in starting a restaurant include finding and leasing a space, then equipping it with expensive range hoods and floor drains and other infrastructure needed for a restaurant.
Rhomberg said those are all things that Bows & Arrows already has.
Now, Gabe Nokes will be able to get his start in the space, creating his own unique menu and leaving his impression on the business.
“What we’ll be doing is really focusing more on what Bows & Arrows is really good at, which is doing events and being a nice place to hang out,” Nokes said.
He plans to keep a similar type of menu at lunch, focusing on sandwiches made with locally sourced ingredients, but he will serve dinner later – likely from 6 p.m. to closing time at 11 p.m., with an emphasis on hot plates.
“In the future I’d like to have a grill going on on the back patio and actually be doing grilled sandwiches to order, or sausages and grilled vegetables – things like that,” Nokes said.
He added that he plans to do small plates of local seasonal vegetables, nuts served hot, hot meats and cold meats.
The price range will be similar to the current offerings, with sandwiches running $8-$9 at lunch, and small dinner plates running $4-$5, with larger plates costing up to $11.
“It’s nothing too fancy,” Nokes said. “We’re a bar/cafe/lounge, and we’re not trying to be too haute cuisine.”
Nokes will be taking over dinner service Nov. 27, and he will take over lunch service from Luu on Dec. 1.
