Something’s Brewing: Krankies Renovation
With the strong smell of coffee brewing in the air, the old food truck parked in the gravel lot substitutes as the Krankies coffee shop while the building in under construction.
Krankies Coffee, located on 211 East Third Street, is a local coffee shop that has been under renovation since February and will re-open in the beginning of October.
Krankies owners could not be reached but other employees said that the renovations will allow the café to serve food to the growing number of people who live and work nearby.
“We will keep the same customers, but also attract new customers from the surrounding area- especially the new lofts, the biotech center and the new medical campus,” said barista Ian Killea, who has worked at Krankies for over a year.
Krankies is one of the only places to buy food and drinks between the Innovation Quarter and the new lofts located on North Main Street. Employees said that’s why the coffee shop decided to expand the roasting area, add a kitchen and build a bar to create a new environment for Krankies.
Bethan Cavanaugh, Notre Dame graduate and current medical resident at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, is part of the new demographic that Krankies is trying to attract. Earlier this week, Cavanaugh was looking for a place to work on her computer and have a cup of coffee, but in the future she may stop by for a quick lunch. “Before, Krankies seemed like more of a casual coffee shop with a hipster feel to it,” said Cavanaugh. “Now that they are renovating and going to have food, it will give me more of a reason to come to Krankies.”
The menu is not yet set in stone, but Krankies will have “good, wholesome food,” said Killea. The new hours of operation will be from 7a.m.-10p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7a.m.-3p.m. Sundays. After lunch on weekdays and Saturdays, ending around 4:00 p.m., Krankies will “dim the lights and turn up the music to invite a new demographic,” said Killea.
With the addition of a bar, the ambience of Krankies will have a new feel, but “they are still a coffee shop first and foremost,” says Killea.
Customers of all ages are still welcome at Krankies at any hour of the day. “If one friend wants to order a coffee and another friend wants a mixed drink, it is totally possible,” said barista Stephanie Campbell, who recently moved to Winston Salem from Richmond, VA. She said employees will be trained to be both baristas and bartenders, meaning they can make you both a cappuccino and a Bloody Mary.
Customer Tiery Lawrence has been a loyal customer for years and grabs a cup of coffee from Krankies at least twice a week. “I don’t study here, but it’s a great atmosphere and a way to escape the office,” said Lawrence.