Heather Gildea, the owner of Black Elephant Hostel, has been developing an all-day cafe and a listening lounge which together are called The Company of Others. They will be located in the former India Street Coffee by Design building. Renovations are well underway and Gildea hopes to launch the cafe space first early this summer followed by the lounge.
She envisions the establishment as a third place where members of the community can meet and connect.
In a world that moves too fast, we offer something essential: a place to pause, to connect, to feel at home in the company of others. Connection doesn’t happen on a schedule. So, we don’t close until the the night is over. The atmosphere changes as the night deepens – from high-end café to something funkier and looser — a late-night gathering spot for the people who aren’t ready to go home yet. Same room. Same welcome. The company just keeps getting better.
The menu for the cafe will include crepes, tartines, and other light fare. It will offer a full line-up of brewed and espresso-based coffee drinks using beans from a local roaster as well as a rotating selection of internationally-inspired beverages like Moroccan Mint Tea. Gildea expects to evolve the menu offerings as the community engages with the business.
In the evening The Company of Others will serve cocktails, wine by the glass, and craft beer as well as nonalcoholic beverages in Lowell’s Lounge—the listening lounge is named for Gildea’s father who “had a deep appreciation for music and how it should be heard.” A sound engineer has been working to create the optimal environment for a listening lounge. It will feature an experience “centered around high-fidelity audio and curated vinyl programming” that shares a wide range of musical genres, “jazz to soul, classical to electronic, we move across genres with the same spirit of genuine curiosity — following the music wherever it leads. Some nights a DJ takes the room on a journey. Other nights it’s just a needle, a record, and whatever Lowell might have put on next.”
Wednesday’s at The Company of Others will be an alcohol-free day in the cafe and lounge. The listening lounge menu is still under development so stay tuned for additional details.