When Undercurrent Coffee co-owner Todd Huber was deciding whether to open in Optimist Hall, his first thought was whether the project’s ethos would fit with Undercurrent’s culture. So he decided to commit to the project early to have as much influence on the food hall’s direction as he could. And on August 1, the coffee shop’s second location will open its doors in the food hall.

“The first thing we had to do was look at what the ownership of the food hall was doing on a macro level, what their intention was for that space,” Huber says. “They were looking at a wide variety of very passionate, primarily local food and beverage vendors to create a sense of community in this redeveloped mill. I saw an opportunity there to take what we were doing [in Plaza Midwood], get in early, and have a voice in the way the progress evolved at Optimist Hall.”

Undercurrent’s original location in Plaza Midwood opened in May of last year with a locally sourced menu and sustainably sourced coffees. The casual, inclusive environment of the coffee shop quickly drew a loyal customer base, many coming in daily to work from the café.

Huber says they hope to replicate that feel in the new location.

The menu will echo what’s served at Plaza Midwood, though both locations will rotate dishes and ingredients seasonally. Menu staples, including the grit bowl and avocado toast, will remain through those changes. Despite only having a 500-square-foot stall, Undercurrent will have a full kitchen.

Chef Frances Micelotta will act as executive chef and kitchen manager over both concepts when Optimist Hall opens in the coming months. According to Huber, they have complete control over their space both aesthetically and where their food and beverage programs are concerned, with no restrictions placed upon them by the hall.

Huber says over the next several months, his focus will be on maintaining Plaza Midwood and opening Optimist Hall, but there are some ideas for further expansion in the works.

“We’ve been open for a short period of time, but I feel like we’ve achieved, for the most part, what we’ve wanted to achieve, which is facilitating community and creating a space where people feel very comfortable and offering a very interesting place to be for a time with great food and coffee,” Huber says. “…We just want to make sure that if we do anything else, like any expanding businessperson, that we can maintain those qualities that have made us attractive to the people that do come to us on a daily basis. We pay a lot of attention to that, and we’ll certainly do our best.”

Read more about what’s coming to Optimist Hall here.—Kristen Wile

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