Go Get ‘Em Tiger

Go Get ‘Em Tiger is the name of G&B Coffee’s second location.  The “G” is for Kyle Glanville (USBC Champion 2008) and the “B” is for Charles Babinski (crowned the NWRBC champion this very week, as it turns out, and going on to compete in the USBC for the national title!).  I have NO idea why they named their first location G&B and then went with something insane like Go Get ‘Em Tiger for the second.  There’s probably a neat story in there somewhere.  But I do know I dig it.  And I know this:  GGET (as they like to abbreviate themselves) is….AWESOME.

You should know, friends, that I’m not a fan of change for change’s sake.  A LOT of people push boundaries just to say they did something different.  And I will say that GGET is not immune to that accusation on a limited basis.  But these guys are basically walking around with sticks of dynamite looking for the status quo and then demolishing it!  Here’s a photographic journey through what we saw when we visited….

This is the life-size astronaut on the backdrop of their service area. You’ll note it has nothing to with tigers. But it’s extremely compelling.

Want a bottle of something to drink? Grab it from this iced tray of options, right underneath the pastry case, obviously.

Here’s a shot of the better side of my acquaintance, Matthew (we judged together at one of the competitions). What is interesting here is that the espresso grinders are on the back wall BEHIND the espresso machine. These guys are PRE-GRINDING espresso doses in little containers and then using them on demand. This is UN-HEARD-OF people! But they contend that the proof is in the pudding, and I can’t say I disagree based on my [limited] experience with their work. In any case, if this turns out to be real then you’ll all look back in ten years and say GGET was doing it first!

This has nothing to do with coffee, but I LOVE these little modular dealies. Are they chairs? Are they tables? Are they art? Answer: YES! They are what you NEED them to be. Oh that so many other things were that. (Sigh).

Why is my cappuccino in a GLASS?!? I have no idea, and honestly I hate this. But you gotta admit, it’s different!

Most “great” cafe’s these days are doing ONLY coffee. MAYBE with a little tiny pastry offering. So what’s GGET doing? WAFFLES! AND TOAST! Of course they are…

 

And there’s one other thing I did not take a picture of because it’s something they do not have:  A Point of Sale.  There is no obvious place to form a line and wait your turn.  Instead there’s just a long bar and you kind of “belly up” to it wherever you can and put your order in.  Revolutionary!  Here again, I’m not sure I like this, but I might like it.  My main feeling is that these guys get mad props for messing with the status quo…shaking things up and seeing if they can’t improve it a bit.  And I love that.