Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Lowie
Hi Dana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In the early 1990’s: Dana Lowie (me) and Steve Taylor vacationed in Seattle. That incurable “coffee bug” is hard to see, yet easy to feel. It took a big bite, so we brought it back home. Like many visitors to the coffee capital of the US, we set out on a quest to bring Seattle-style coffee to Greenville.
December 31, 1992 – First Night Festival
…we opened an outside coffee cart named Pony Espresso, within Piazza Bergamo, located just across the street from us now. The chilled New Year’s Eve crowd wanted hot chocolate & mochas. Friends and family, 9 in all, took turns making frantic trips to the nearby grocery for more milk. After that jump into the fire, Steve operated the cart during the weekday mornings while working evenings at the local newspaper. Dana continued as a graphic artist for a small downtown firm and teamed up with Steve on Friday and Saturday evenings at Pony Espresso. We met many new friends & learned a lot about coffee along the way.
Wheels Were Spinning
The next step was to find a permanent indoor location. Dana and Steve shared their dream with a fellow cyclist, Cathy Anderson, who wanted to open a retail bakery, so the three created a plan. We found a great location at the corner of Main St. & Coffee St, in the underground level of the Cauble Building.
Within the next year and a half, the three of us researched, negotiated, planned and got advice. We designed, built, painted, stocked, got inspections, hired & trained. Of the many business name ideas, the very first, Coffee Underground, won out. Then, the time had come!
May 1, 1995:
Coffee Underground opened the doors to a lively crowd. Luckily it was just the right time, as Greenville craved this new option to the bar scene. As you entered, you saw the existing cozy seating area. We had a tiny hidden kitchen where a lot of action took place. We named an adjacent room “the gallery” and local artists filled the walls. The third room was transformed into a theater, where Jeff Sumerel directed live improv shows & screened independent films.
Over the Years:
After about a year, Cathy decided to pursue other business ventures, so the two of us continued operating and perfecting CU. We expanded the menu by adding beer, wine and cocktails as well as more food. In order to manage the crowd inside, we began table service in the evenings. A few years later, Steve took off to the Big Apple, then moved to Paris, where he lived with wife, Cynthia and son Perry until they moved back to the States several years ago. It was a little daunting at first to go it alone. Along with the dedicated staff (especially Krystina), we found a rhythm and stuck with it.
In 2000, I purchased the 3600 SF where CU still sits. For the next 2 years, we had a second location (CU2) in the newly rennovated Poinsett Hotel, yet the timing just did not work out. In 2005, we decided to begin roasting our own coffee beans. Until that point, we had purchased freshly roasted coffees from West End Coffee. In 2008, we grew underground by acquiring an adjacent unit, and now have a big kitchen and more seating in our cozy Red Room. We expanded our food menu and added Sunday brunch service. Smooth sailing for a long while, then the bug to expand came crawling around. In 2018, we opened Coffee on Stone and World Piece Pizza on Stone Avenue. We enjoyed (and endured) these businesses for 5 years. After making it through Covid, we finally decided that it is best to stay focused on our mothership, Coffee Underground.
So I am the last of the original three owners. The CU Team and I continue to successfully operate CU. One of the most important ingredients in our success is the CU staff members! Then, of course, great coffee and great experiences.
Aahh, a few memories…
Most bring happy thoughts, and even some “not so perfect” events ended up as funny stories! Once, during a staff picnic, the dog was stung by bees, the new grill didn’t work, it rained buckets & someone sat in the potato salad. Another time, a fire extinguisher was accidentally deployed which resulted in an inside white-out. We won’t forget the great Greenville flood of 2014; our staff, improvisers, & neighbors bailed out buckets of water from our outside walkway to keep it dry inside!
Thanks to YOU…
We’ve been buzzing for almost 30 years. We are happy to be considered a downtown landmark, and thankful for another successful year. Here’s a toast to many more happy years for you and for CU.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth for the most part. We are fortunate and our success is not taken for granted. Our success allowed us to open other businesses, even though we decided to eventually just stick with the one true love…Coffee Underground.
Then of course, there was the Covid experience shared by the world. It was a hard hit in 2020, but we recovered quickly and with full force.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Coffee Underground?
We are a locally-owned and operated coffee shop and cafe located in Downtown Greenville SC. Hot Coffee…Cool Vibe! is our catch-phrase. Our atmosphere is unique since we are literally underground, at basement level. Our ceilings are low with exposed beams and soft lighting, which makes for a cozy experience.
Our business consists of 4 rooms, one of which is a theater performance room. The weekly schedule consists of Open Mic Comedy, Alchemy Improv Comedy, Poetry Open Mic and Slams, then random movies and other performances.
Our in-house roasted coffees are delicious and fresh. We roast to a medium roast level and brew the coffee strong. The espresso blend is smooth for sipping yet bold enough to make tasty lattes. We offer 12 varieties of coffees from around the world. Our coffee menu consists of traditional espresso and cappuccinos, many specialty flavored lattes, iced coffee bevs and a signature black tiger espresso milkshake. Then, top it off with a hot coffee cordial (think Irish Coffee) or a tasty espresso martini.
For those who are not in the mood for coffee, we offer teas, smoothies, shakes, beer, wine and cocktails. Yum!
Our food menu offers many tastes, from all-day breakfast, to sandwiches, salads, burgers and appetizers. We make it all from scratch and we don’t skimp on quality ingredients.
To top it off, we make our desserts in-house. What goes better with a good cup of coffee than a piece of famous strawberry cake, or one of our specialty cheesecakes (Turtle, NY, Mocha, Pumpkin) or Peanutbutter Pie?!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Advice…
–Do your research.
–Choose a location with lots of foot-traffic &/or good parking.
–Try to not go into deep debt to start-up your business.
–Keep enough money in the bank to operate on for several months.
–After hiring a great team, find ways to retain them for the long term.
–Seek to offer the best experience to your guests with what you have chosen to do.
–Don’t take anything for granted.
–Spread the love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.coffeeunderground.info
- Instagram: coffee.underground
- Facebook: Coffee Underground
