Uniquely DENTON - Art Six Coffee House
Just one sweet sip of the aroma—bacon and eggs—lures you past the threshold. Wooden framed photographs and oldies playing in the background remind you of the past, a simpler past. Starting the day off at Ruby’s Diner on the Square, hot coffee and some eggs, please, is a ritual to many Denton locals. Do you think they know Ruby’s, this cheery breakfast nook where life starts anew each day, used to be a morgue?
Denton has many such stories if you just open the door: The story of the six struggling art students who flipped an old shack into Art Six Coffee House. The story of Ruth’s Room, not just a secondhand store, but a place with soul thanks to its volunteers. The historic chapel in the woods where locals say “I do”. And yes, Ruby’s Diner, with its animal heads on the walls and slabs of bacon on the plate, replacing those other “slabs.” Just sit down and listen.
Ken Willis leads me to one of his tables at Ruby’s, picking a fight in passing with “the old farts” as he affectionately calls them. His personal greeting and home-style eclectic menu leave an impression. “Being an avid hunter, I have wild game on the menu,” he says, “Ostrich, buffalo, quail, alligator. We have done specials on Saturday nights where we have 37 different animals.” Customers are so comfortable with the wildlife hanging over their plates, they have been known to donate their own trophies. “They come up here and have coffee with their animal heads,” Ken says with a laugh as he reminisces about the local whose wife forbade him to hang a stuffed head at home.
The feeling of family runs through this historically rich morgue-turned-diner. Ken’s daughter Kayla, who got her name from one of the regulars in a contest to raise money for the Kiwanis Children's Clinic, helps dad with the cash register and chats up customers. Ken went to culinary school and worked with his father’s TK KIND OF COMPANY for 18 years before buying Ruby’s, which has been his for 12 years. Norma Davison is a regular who has been coming for years. “Many, many, years,” she says. “It’s homey. It’s possible to get vegetables, the food is nice and it’s just a very convenient, pleasant place to be.”
From Ruby’s, you can see the city’s famous 1896 Romanesque-style Courthouse-on-the-Square and a bustling downtown with boutiques, bars, restaurants and coffee shops. Around the corner is the Campus Theatre, an old movie house turned into a live performing arts venue. Within walking distance downtown are a number of thriving music venues. “You have things like the theatre back there and a lot of live music that draws a variety of people down,” says Ken. He is such a big believer in downtown that he also manages Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream store, with its real ice cream sodas and jalapeno pepper chili ice cream (one of 60-plus flavors).
Ruth’s Room, a mile north, is a goldmine of collectibles waiting for a new home. Shoppers, without realizing it, become part of history as they exchange belongings. Bunny Hodge opened the thrift store in 2000, using the inheritance her mother—Ruth—left for her. There are shelves of treasures, CDs, books, kitchen appliances, suitcases, clothes, shoes, a whole cornucopia of stuff, organized, labeled, priced, some neatly placed, some moved by over-eager hands. Stacks of colorful clothes and books arranged in a rainbow shape beckon. “I like looking for treasures,” says Sherry Barkenhagen. “Whatever you need, you can pretty much find here.”
Though prices are low, Ruth’s Room isn’t about profits. It’s about heart, giving and volunteering, helping to raise much-needed money for Habitat for Humanity. “I had been on a fundraising committee since Habitat for Humanity had become an affiliate here in town in 1994,” Bunny says. With the help of two coworkers who believed the thrift store would be a success, she made enough money her first day to pay a month’s rent. Eight years later, with two full time employees, some community service and regular volunteers, the ambience is still one of giving back, not making a profit. “I come here because I like a scavenger hunt; you know the thrill of the hunt,” says Joyce Lee. “Sometimes you will find something wonderful at a great price and I feel better about giving my money to Habitat for Humanity.”
Bunny’s long gray hair and the dusty atmosphere give the place a sense of timelessness. Ruth’s Room gets busy before the fall start of school and at Christmas, but even in slow times, there is usually someone dropping off an item to be exchanged—sometimes, the oddest things. “Oh dear. Their own trash,” Bunny says, laughing. “I mean seriously.”
Within walking distance from the Square and the University of North Texas campus, the aromatic, artsy Art Six Coffee House is where homework gets done, poetry comes alive and conversation has meaning. Morning light pouring in through the windows of the prairie-style building illuminate a student’s colorful canvas artwork, creating a warm ambience for web surfers lounging on the couch. “One of my favorite things is when people take their shoes off and walk around,” says Thomas Rose, co-owner of Art Six. “You wouldn’t do that just anywhere.” Tommy, as everyone calls him, strives for a relaxed atmosphere and an at-home feel. “I don’t mind if you put your feet on the table. It defines our business, what we are and what we stand for.”
Six artists huddled around a back porch table on a Sunday morning with coffee and doughnuts, all weary of job-hunting, thought it would be fun to open a coffee house. What was the worst thing that could happen? Being stuck looking for a job again? Four years later, their brainchild is a popular Denton hangout. “I think one of the most unique things is that it is set in an old house, so coming here is like coming to a friend’s,” says Olivia Emile, another owner. “It’s a laidback atmosphere that young people really enjoy.” UNT senior Nathan Forsbach says he agrees. “I come here pretty much every day, mostly to study, but I like the atmosphere and it’s kinda cool to see lots of different people.”
Art Six’s open-mindedness separates them from other restaurants. “We are young, with a fresh set of ideas. We are willing to try anything,” promises Tommy. That includes hosting traditional wedding receptions, anniversaries, romantic dinners and reunions as well as tarot card readings, belly dancers, dog shows, cross-dressing fashion shows, and stand up comedians. An outside porch lends space to reciting poets. A screen transforms Fridays into “café du cinema” nights. As the week plays out, there are open mike nights and poetry nights and jazz nights and murder mystery nights. Anyone can drop off their demo track and get their 15 minutes of fame or play their favorite soundtrack on the house iPod. Artwork by locals hangs on the walls.
Come in during finals week and you won’t get a seat, but you will get a friendly smile and coffee made how you like it. “I’m friends with 90 percent of the customers,” says Tommy proudly. “If I don’t know them by name, I know them by drink.”
A yellow brick road, loud with birdsong, leads past a fountain to a stand of trees and a chapel sheltered from Denton’s busy streets and students rushing to and from class. Heavy wooden doors open into another world, a world of romance, intimacy and serenity, and a hidden world on the campus of Texas Woman’s University (TWU). The Little Chapel-in-the-Woods is a treasure amidst an island of education.
With hand-carved pews, mosaic doors and stained glass windows of women in different professions, the chapel’s peaceful interior lets you drift away and meditate. Eleanor Roosevelt came to Texas to dedicate the chapel, which was designed by famous Dallas architect O’Neal Ford and built with student and faculty help in 1939. The Texas Society of Architects lists it as one of only 20 buildings designated as Texas’ proudest architectural achievements.
Though the chapel is still perfect for mediation, today it’s a symbol of love and eternity, bringing students back to campus to say, “I do.” Over 150 weddings a year are held in the chapel along with recitals, baptisms, memorials and concerts. Couples marrying in the chapel become part of its history, signing the permanent bride’s book. They must be good planners, however. There are only 100 seats, with another 20 seats in the balcony. “Brides fall in love with it and will tailor their guest list so they can get married here,” says Deborah Gillespie, the chapel’s coordinator at TWU. With the sun’s rays pouring through the rose window, weddings just seem magical, says Deborah. “All you want is everything to go perfect on your wedding day and for the world to know.”
Denton has it all: food, art, music, history and tradition. Don’t believe us? Come
By Barbara Seljak