Entering yet another week back at ETSU, the desire for coffee is bound to begin growing among the student body. If you would like an off-campus treat, a downtown coffee shop may have you covered.
As of one year ago last month, Brew Plum Coffee Shop in downtown Johnson City has been rebranded to Dos Gatos Coffee Bar. The coffee spot has been open since 2009, and the name change has shocked many, but it seems fitting for owner Dick Nelson.
According to Nelson, he felt prompted to remove “Brew Plum” as the name of the coffee shop after the Blue Plum Festival moved out of downtown. As for the name “Dos Gatos,” his pets are the inspiration behind this. “Dos Gatos” is Spanish for “two cats.”
“I decided on the name Dos Gatos in honor of my two cats who had passed away,” Nelson said. “My customers all knew them.”
According to the Associated Press, the rebranding was shown publicly at last year’s Little Chicago Downtown Music and Arts Festival. The change was received positively by customers who ultimately loved it more for the personality behind the name.
Upon posting the name change to Facebook last year, customers took to the comment section showing positive support for the new name.
Nelson and his girlfriend, Katie Pierce, now have two new cats that they found and adopted. These fur babies are adored as much as Nelson’s previous “dos gatos.”
The coffee bar offers a wide variety of beverage specialties, including different types of coffee, hot teas, espresso drinks and hot chocolate. According to the business’s Facebook page, they educate and train themselves in coffee and coffee preparation so that their customers can expect the best pulled, poured, dripped and extracted drinks around. Dos Gatos also includes locally-made goodies and artworks on sale and free to view while sipping your coffee.
Dos Gatos is open seven days a week — certainly a plus for students wanting an off-campus cup of coffee. The coffee bar is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Dos Gatos is located at 324 E. Main St. in the Nelson Fine Art Center downtown. For more information on Dos Gatos Coffee Bar and events, check out their Facebook page.
