The doors swing open at the Oasis
First weekend at the newest Roxbury venture was happening
(Here's a special first person account from the newest entrepeneurs -- that's French for business owners -- in Roxbury: Janet and Scott Bradley opened the doors of their "Oasis in the Catskills" in Roxbury's historic Corner Store on Saturday, July 1 and even they were a little surprised at the outpouring of folks who crowded the Oasis Coffee and Tea's soft opening. Here's a report from the front lines in the Catskills' hospitality biz.)
by Janet Bradley
We opened our doors at 7 a.m. on Saturday, July 1, and I actually had to step over a couple of people who had camped out overnight to secure a hot, fresh cup of java in our aptly named "Oasis Coffee and Tea Room . . . an Oasis in the Catskills." Blurry eyed and half asleep from the 5:30 am bakery run, I was armed with delicious goodies from Bread Alone and one sleepy toddler, who had to be roused since Scott was assembling table tops and inserting doorknobs on the restroom doors, those little things that make customers, and the Dept. of Health, happy.
Shortly thereafter, the people started to pour in, mostly full-time residents with a nice mix of second homeowners and weekenders. The staff, fresh-faced, novice and eager to assist, braved their way through the lattes, cappuccinos, mochas and other assorted specialty coffee drinks. The small bakery order was depleted in a few hours, but our kitchen master, Vesti, made sure that every plate was picture perfect, lined with a doily and dusted with the appropriate sweetness and a sprig of mint, a testament to the quality and type of presentation that Scott and I are keen to provide.
The Oasis' front room is now imbued with bold colors — brick red walls, trimmed with ivory and accented with a golden ecru — and furnished with black ladderback chairs and mahagony table tops, signaling to our patrons the style and feeling of our space from the moment they enter: French European meets the Catskills. (It also made me appreciate the 4 months of visits to Kingston hardware outlets and the 15 quarts of sample paint before we hit the right notes. Those efforts had paid off!) It was all enhanced by the vibrant work of featured artist of the month, Rebecca Darlington, who was herself inspired by her travels abroad, in particular France and the French culture.
The flow was steady and consistent and the comments that we heard were positively
positive, refreshing and reassuring that what we had set out to do for ourselves
and for Roxbury was, as one patron put it, "spot on." Everyone
that has watched us labor and pour our heart and soul into this building
and this dream for the past eight months (which basically consists of the
entire town), were so supportive. They echoed that often heard mantra, "I
believe, I believe, I believe" over and over so often, that by the time
our opening musician, Patti Van Tassel , crooned her first jazz tune with
the Gentlemen of Leisure, we too said, "We believe!"
As day turned into night and the soft libations flowed (full bar to follow!) the people would laugh, we would laugh, and we would know what we had wondered for so long: "If we build it, would they come?" We did and they have.
Thank you to everyone who has wished us well and kept us in their prayers. It was a huge leap of faith to take this enormous risk, and we know it will be a while until we are fully established, but — it was a risk worth taking.
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Note: If you're heading for the Oasis in July, the hours are Friday, 4
- 10 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. and Sunday, 7am - 6pm. Baked goods,
coffee and espresso drinks, and beer and wine are available now, with
food menu and cocktails coming soon!