by Corey Matsumoto
After three weeks of renovations, Local Loco’s is poised to reopen on Wednesday, November 21, at the completion of stage 3 of an ongoing “Work of art in progress”. The Loco team has worked hard to get a myriad of changes implemented in the shortest time frame possible.
The most notable change is the elimination of a wall separating the two rooms of the cafe, which makes a large seating bar possible and unifies the space into one larger room. “It’s really amazing, the difference it makes” says co-owner Skye Morrison, “It’s totally a whole new cafe”.
With this round of renovations, the Loco crew focused on finer details such as the creation of cedar trim work and the installation of ornate bar-table braces. The newly renovated space features a post-and-beam motif created with beautifully finished cedar lumber. Outside improvements include a cobblestone entrance and additional outdoor lighting.
The front counter service area has been completely revamped. A refrigerated display case allows patrons to preview some of the great desserts that Loco’s offers, and will offer healthy grab-and-go foods including wraps, salads, and baked goods. The art-consignment center now boasts a backlit display case with a larger capacity, easier to view.
Aside from the visual changes, patrons will notice improvements in food quality and delivery time as a result of major kitchen upgrades. The kitchen area has more than doubled with the annexation of former office and staff-lounge space. The new kitchen set-up includes a second gas stove, a commercial dishwasher, a commercial stainless steel double sink, and a massive prep area for sandwich making and other prep work. A brand new black-and-white-checker linoleum floor unifies the kitchen space.
Stage 4 of the renos, which entails the addition of a 5.5-foot-wide corridor along the entire north side of the building, culminating in the inevitable relocation of the that exterior wall, will commence ASAP. But fear not: the cafe is expected to operate during this final stage of the renos.
The Loco crew had been sitting on the building permit for nearly 6 months before money was acquired to start the renos. It’ll be a celebration on November 21 as Local Loco’s hosts the first Wednesday Night Open Stage in the new space.
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