A (Socially-Distanced) Inside Look: Gasoline Street Coffee Co.
Interview by Dana DeSantis
In 2016, Matthew Stark established the local fuelling station, Gasoline Street Coffee Co.
Shop manager Alex Kroll described the aesthetic of the coffee shop as, “colorful and eclectic but unified with a gas station theme, while the vibe is open and welcoming. It’s a place for people to gather that’s not work or home and it’s a place for people to just unwind and be themselves, to foster connections and community, and to enjoy a coffee while doing so.” With the mission statement, “Building community one cup at a time,” it’s easy to see how heavily this business relies on its relationships with its customers.
As Coronavirus began to devastate small businesses across the country of the United States, Gasoline Street remained in high hopes as they started to shut their doors until further notice. The switch to digital sales was able to bring new opportunities for Gasoline Street, but also brought major complications. We were able to speak with Alex Kroll to find out more through the eyes of the company.
How has the pandemic effected Gasoline Street’s staff and overall business?
“We were closed for over two months, and though we’ve since reopened, our hours are really limited compared to what they once were. Before COVID we had seven baristas, and three shifts a day - open, mid, and close - so there were plenty of hours to go around. Now there’s only one shift a day, the same person opens and closes. We close at one instead of five.
There’s still hardly anyone Downtown, compared to before the pandemic, so we just don’t see the foot traffic to stay open until five anymore. Consequently some of our employees who worked afternoons haven’t been able to come back at all. There just aren’t enough hours to go around.”
“The life of a cafe
is all about the people
who walk through
the door”
Gasoline Street’s current business hours are Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM and they’re also open every Saturday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
What was Gasoline Street’s plan to continue business as the country was in lockdown?
“We did switch to more of an online model. I stayed in touch with the owner, Matthew Stark, and the crew, always with an eye on reopening, and we eventually did reopen in early June. Stark was able to get a PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan and continued to pay us during a portion of the lockdown, which was huge.”
How has Gasoline Street used their online platforms to bring in income?
“We pushed online sales of gift cards, whole bean coffee, cold brew bottles, and apparel through our online presence. We were able to use those platforms and their messaging apps to communicate with customers, and receive orders, schedule deliveries, etc. Instagram is a good way to get in touch with us about ordering and delivery, and we sold digital gift cards through our website.”
How do you feel customers responded to the switch from in-person to online interaction?
“We got some new customers out of it, customers more willing to utilize those online platforms, and lost some customers, as downtown is still relatively empty, and there are rumblings that some peoples’ jobs might be switching to remote or from home fulltime. That’s a big hit for us, in a Central Business District we rely on the big office buildings for our customer base, especially in a city like Pittsburgh where we don’t really have the density of residential population that maybe some other cities have, especially around this part of First Avenue (more specifically: 643 First Avenue).
It was great that people responded to our online presence during quarantine, but the life of a cafe is all about the people who walk through the door, you could make things work online for a while, but it’s all about the people, the in-person interactions, people whose names we know, whose order we know without them even having to say anything. There’s no substitute for that kind of experience.”
What precautions has Gasoline Street put into place to keep their staff and customer’s safe and how is it currently operating?
“Everyone coming through the doors must have a mask on, first and foremost. We are also encouraging the standard six feet social distancing, have hand sanitizer easily accessible on our counter, have temporarily stopped accepting cash, and have been operating with a limited seating capacity that fluctuates as we follow local government guidelines. Also temporarily suspended is the use of customers’ personal mugs as well as our own in-house ceramic mugs, and all milks, sugars, napkins, etc. are kept behind the bar to limit the number of people touching things. The vast majority of people have been really good about complying with these efforts, and things have gone pretty smoothly here.”
Is there anything special happening with the company right now?
“We have some new fall drinks: cinnamon, pumpkin, maple brown sugar, and more in development. We’re also working on revamping our smoothie menu, and tying to figure out how to add sandwiches back into our offerings.
When restrictions are lifted and we can safely do so, we’ll hopefully be collaborating again with Pioneer Records, Point Park University’s student-run record label, for an Open Mic Night, especially after the great success of the one we hosted early in the year before COVID-19 hit. Also, Point Park and Duquesne University students receive a discount of 10% off when ordering at Gasoline Street.”
Were there any successes for Gasoline Street during these times?
“It was encouraging that so many people were able to support us online, even with the fact that there are limited ways that one can support a coffee shop online. It’s encouraging to see regular customers back in the shop since we’ve reopened our doors. To come to work every day and see that we are pushing through this, pressing on, surviving, and we’re still going to be here when the world moves past this pandemic and things get back to normal… yeah, there is a lot of pride in that.”
Is there anything that I didn’t ask that you’d like to add?
”I’d like to touch on the importance of spending money at local businesses right now. During the pandemic it’s the big guys that have profited. The rich have got richer yet. Amazon and big box stores are thriving while local independent stores, restaurants, and other businesses, have shut their doors for good, unable to compete, and lacking the funding to make the necessary adaptations for an extended time to get through the pandemic.
In Downtown, Oakland, Southside, and other city neighborhoods, prominent and culturally important businesses have had to permanently close, which irrevocably alters the fabric of these neighborhoods for the worse. I would implore everyone, especially young people and students who live downtown to think long and hard about where they spend their money and the lasting effects of those decisions. Take pride in your city and neighborhood and spend your money locally at the independent places who contribute to making the city unique.”
Get Caffeinated with Gasoline Street
Online: https://www.gasolinestreetcoffee.com/
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gas_st_coffee/
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GasolineStreetCoffeeCompany/