The Coffee Cup Restaurant
Dansville, NY Photo courtesy Mark Hackett
Cruising down Main Street in Dansville, here's a sign that's bound to catch the eye of anyone looking for a cup of coffee and something to eat. The big old roadside marquee for The Coffee Cup Restaurant has plenty of vintage character, complete with that great script lettering pointing travelers toward the front door. It's the kind of sign that looks like it has been telling hungry motorists where to stop for quite a few years.
Step inside and the place has the comfortable feel of an old neighborhood coffee shop. Exposed brick walls and an old tin ceiling give the dining room plenty of character, while breakfast and lunch keep the tables busy. Grab some eggs in the morning, a sandwich for lunch, or just settle in with a hot cup of coffee before getting back on the road.
Close up the Coffee Cup front
Dansville, NY Photo courtesy Jay Lin
Dansville is one of those small upstate New York towns where an old coffee shop still seems perfectly at home along Main Street. And with that substantial sign standing out front, the Coffee Cup is pretty hard to cruise past without at least taking another look. Might as well stop in. After all, there's always room for another cup of coffee.
UPDATE: Here's a shot of The Coffee Cup Restaurant, which looks to be
a nice place to take the family for some good family eating. Stop in for a double-double at The Coffee Cup. This substantial
sign is in great shape and can't be missed. Many thanks to Jay Lin for info. 11-00
UPDATE: The Coffee Cup remains open on Main Street, serving breakfast and lunch beneath its classic roadside sign. 08-26
Schutawies Coffee Shop (Gone)
Shenandoah, PA Photo courtesy Steve Felder
Here's a coffee shop with a little more behind it than first meets the eye. Schutawies Coffee Shop once occupied part of the old Capitol Theatre building along Main Street in Shenandoah, its storefront and sign giving little hint of the 1,400-seat movie house tucked away behind it.
The Capitol had quite a run itself. After a fire destroyed the earlier theater in 1946, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1947. Movies continued here until 1980, when the curtain finally came down. Part of the old theater entrance later became Schutawies Luncheonette, a neighborhood stop for coffee, sandwiches, and conversation. Even the old theater box office survived near the entrance.
It's an unusual bit of roadside recycling, an old movie palace finding another life as a little coffee shop. You'd probably never guess what was hiding behind the storefront while passing through town.
UPDATE: Schutawies is closed and the old coffee shop sign and theater marquee have been removed. The former Capitol Theatre building remains standing but vacant and in poor condition. 08-26
The Coffee Cup Restaurant
Schutawies Coffee Shop (Gone)
