mchen@heraldsun.com; 419-6636
DURHAM — At the end of the day, Dorian Bolden is just grateful.
The 29-year-old entrepreneur gives credit to everyone but himself when he speaks of the long journey to open Beyú Caffé, a coffeehouse and jazz lounge he first envisioned five years ago.
The name, pronounced Be-You, came out of a wish to provide a place for people to be comfortable, be themselves and get to know each another.
That vision is soon to become reality. Some time this week, as soon as the health inspector gives approval, it will open for business, serving diners and coffee lovers 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“It’s like a dream come true,” Bolden said, “to be able to support other people, to be able to provide jobs and create a place for people to come and enjoy themselves.”
The realization of that dream didn’t come without a lot of hard work — from trying to raise $500,000 during a recession earlier this year, to finding a space, to the build out of that space, training employees and making sure the final details are taken care of and in place.
Bolden had signed the lease in June for 3,000 square feet in the Snow Building, a Gothic structure on Main Street not far from Five Points.
Construction commenced in August and proceeded quickly, taking a formerly concrete shell that had been empty for years and transforming it into a warm space with 80 seats, an ordering area, a bar and a back section that could be used for private meetings and get togethers.
Many problems and unforeseen costs arose during those four months of construction, Bolden said, everything from the color of the T-shirts to the installation of a gas pipe to having to delay opening by three weeks because of misinformation from a supplier.
Further adding to the pressure, however joyfully so, was a new addition to the family. Bolden and wife, Taineisha, recently became first-time parents to a baby daughter.
“I want to provide support for my family. I think, being able to provide a place for others is important to me. Do I have my down days? No doubt. But I’ve had the support of other people,” Bolden said.
Bolden frequently turned to his wife for support and feedback, getting her take on the color scheme, showing her the menu and having her sample drinks and food.
Taineisha Bolden, a second-year resident at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, was the sole breadwinner for the family for most of last year. Since the birth of their daughter, she and Dorian have split up some duties and sought help and support from relatives.
“On my end, I’m just trying to hold down the fort at home and trying to let him focus on Beyú,” she said. “I’m just eager to see all his labor come to fruition.”
Bolden created the substantial drinks menu himself, drawing on his knowledge of coffee and years of experience working at local cafés and restaurants.
The drinks at Beyú range across the board, from your basic coffee of the day to espresso drinks, coffee cocktails, cocoa drinks, teas, wines, spirits, Italian sodas, smoothies and a host of other beverages.
Some of the items are café staples. Others are whimsical concoctions, such as the Oprah Mocha, an espresso with dark chocolate, white chocolate and steamed milk, topped with cocoa, or the Chocolate Thundercat, hot cocoa with Irish cream liqueur, butterscotch and cinnamon schnapps and whipped cream.
Chef Mary Melie, who previously headed up Guglhupf Bakery & Patisserie, created the food menu for Beyu.
Breakfast includes croissant sandwiches and house-made crepes. Diners have an assortment of paninis and sandwiches to choose from for lunch. Come dinner time, pretzel pork chop, grilled hanger steak and sautéed chicken breast served over linguine with artichoke hearts are on the menu.
Many of the ingredients are sourced locally, including fresh seafood from Southport Seafood Co. of Raleigh for oysters, sautéed shrimp tossed with napa cabbage, and a daily fish special for dinner.
Melie described the menu as simple American cuisine. “It reflects a lot of different regions and how we’re starting to eat, and part of that is about being more local,” she said.
Local support and connections are a continued theme in the story of Beyú’s opening. Dairies and farms sourced by the restaurant are listed on the menu. The artwork on the walls are from LabourLove Gallery, another newcomer to downtown, and the pictures on the walls are various scenes from the Bull City.
The importance of such relationships with what’s local came through in a crisis Beyú faced in November, shortly before it was originally set.
According to e-mails between general contractor John Helms and a vendor, Turning House Millworks based out of the Concord-Kannapolis area, the vendor had given the impression that it was on track to deliver the countertop but apparently had not been producing it all along.
The Herald-Sun contacted the vendor’s representative, Amy Miller, who declined to comment. Calls to the company’s headquarters were not returned.
Bolden said that despite the disappointment, his project manager and others were on the phone by the next morning, working together to coordinate a speedy delivery from another vendor.
Fortunately, CaraGreen, a sustainable buildings material supplier in Carrboro, came through and made a new countertop within a week and a half.
“At that point, I knew I had a good team,” Bolden said.
“It definitely makes you have a lot of respect for people who have restaurants,” Bolden said. “There are so many things that affect you doing one simple thing: Open your doors and sell some coffee.”
Bolden said his goal is for Beyú to become the coffeehouse of the downtown area. The business recently also won the title of official coffee provider of Carolina Theatre. That’s in addition to already being the official provider for the Durham Performing Arts Center.
Beyú doesn’t offer catering yet. Bolden has more plans for the coffeehouse. In the spring, he hopes to add outdoor seating behind the building. A grand opening is slated for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
Looking back, Bolden said even he is amazed at how much progress was made now that his business is so close to opening.
The key, he said, was always to “focus on the joys and the adventure.” “And now, it’s my turn to give back,” he said.
