Long-stemmed white roses in an antique silver water pitcher, fragrant Christmas greens in blue-and-white china vases, Sangría in a glass punch bowl, and a sterling silver basket brimming with fresh orange persimmons, all resting on a marble bar top.
“Details are very important to me,” notes Sally Kane, co-owner/operator, with Gregor Kretschmann, of The Coronet café and bar, which opened earlier this year in the historic Coronado Hotel at 402 E. Ninth St.
The frames of the picture windows are original to the hotel, which opened in 1928 to serve railroad passengers and is now an apartment complex on the National Register of Historic Places. But Kane and Kretschmann basically gutted the rest of the cafe space — which had been vacant since 1974 — in creating their Old World-style brasserie.
The whimsical menu lists cocktails as “drinkies,” calls salads “bunnies” and describes dishes as “yummers.” “It’s just the way we verbalize our foodie talk. We are very sophisticated,” the effervescent Kane jokes.
The menu also features charming drawings by their friend Gwyneth Scally. “We asked her to draw animals as if she were a 16th century naturalist but had never actually seen an animal, only heard of them,” Kane explains.
“I love old children’s books. I like the telling of a story and believe at The Coronet we are telling a story, creating a picture. Inviting you in.”
We asked Kane to tell us that story:
Q: With your dedication to detail, where did you find the furnishings?
A: The back bar, purchased on Craigslist, is from New River, Arizona, 1906. Fantastic find! The hardware on the main doors are antique from the United Kingdom. The sconces, acquired through Mast, were made by a local artist. The schoolhouse lights are not reproductions and were found on Etsy. The shelving brackets are all Victorian reproductions. The chairs are handmade French bistro chairs. The awnings are a vintage Sunbrella fabric. The trees are Chinese pistache and will eventually cover the patio in shady splendor. ...
Q: How much did all that cost to ready for opening?
A: The total cost is probably around $240,000. From start to finish. I have worked in the trades for years (as founder/owner/general manager of Surface Works, a Tucson interior remodeling and painting company) and after years in the business, folks were kind and generous to me and I am thankful. Gregor and I also knew how to do a ton of things ourselves. ... And many of the pieces are from my home. We collected silver cutlery for years. Antiques for service and caterings have been in my family.
Q: Sally, your father had the famed, now-closed Tack Room. Does that legacy figure into your restaurant?
A: My father, Jud Kane, started the Tack Room at Rancho del Rio with his folks. It boasted Arizona’s first wine cellar and was awarded the Southwest’s first Mobil 5-Star rating. At The Coronet we give a nod by offering the Tack Room’s signature dessert, their not-very-typical chocolate mousse.
I was around the business as a very small child, but my father became ill when I was 2 and died when I was only 5 years old. My passion for food and drink is more than likely an inheritance of a kindred soul. ... I studied at the California College of Art and Design and have worked in restaurants across the world, from Berkeley to Galway to Nashville to San Miguel de Allende.
Q: What was your menu inspiration?
A: This is a city café. It should feel classic and comforting. The food — my chefs are Jake Alpert and Erika Bostick-Esham — is home cooked and classic. Rustic on the plate. Balanced on the palate. Fresh, simple ingredients.
Q: Eight months in, how is business?
A: We are actually just beginning to break even. Thank goodness. I have been overwhelmed by the support and positive feedback we are receiving; it seems we have hit a chord in folks. Having said that, it takes a very long time to get the word out and create a customer base. It is normal to love a place but only frequent it every few months or so, or even longer. So it takes tens of thousands of people to become a customer base. I think we are well on our way, and folks are still discovering us daily.
We are in the heart of the Fourth Avenue district and downtown. We are in the middle of the streetcar route. The Coronet’s demographic is a true cross-section of Tucsonans. We see folks from the Foothills, downtown business owners, artists and musicians, luncheons from retirement communities, graduate students, girlfriends a-gabbing, couples out for a special date night.
It is as I dreamed.
