Blanchard’s Classroom

Renovation - Hospitality - Richmond, VA

It's a honor to work with people who strive for excellence in everything they do, and Blanchard's is excellence personified. This expansion at Broad St creates a space for them to double down on their commitment to free coffee education and provide outdoor and extra seating at their flagship coffee shop. They asked for an art deco chemistry lab, and here it is....

After a few years operating their cafe on Broad St., Blanchard’s Coffee knew they needed two things - an expanded seating area for cafe guests, and a new education space to host their community classes and public cuppings. Education is part of the foundation of Blanchard’s ethos and they have always offered free classes on coffee brewing, tasting, and sourcing at their roastery, but wanted the lessons to have a home more accessible to the public. It seemed like a natural evolution that this flexible space reflect that foundation, and so Blanchard’s Classroom was born.

A new wood cased opening connects the existing cafe to the space, leading you from a daylight soaked bustling coffee shop into a peaceful space designed with a nostalgic nod to chemistry labs of our scholastic past. The custom oak lab tables, terrazzo floors, scalloped oak paneling and ribbed glass linear lights underscore the inspiration. A glass garage door connects the space to the new covered outdoor patio that allows patrons to enjoy fresh air in all seasons.

Unseen by the public, the renovation also included a massive expansion of their prep and storage space, offices, a conference room and new employee areas to give those who work for Blanchard’s the best possible experience.