Bubacz's Underground Beckons; Downtown Sylva's Go-To Place for Fresh-Roasted Coffee and More
The smell of freshly roasted coffee... home-cooked local food... ambience and atmosphere in the heart of downtown Sylva. What could be better? For John Bubacz, nothing at all.
Bubacz (whose name is pronounced boo-bah-ch) is the proprietor of Bubacz's Underground, a cafe and coffeeshop that's making waves among local patrons. Its slogan is "World's Healthiest Fast Food."
The restaurant is a delightful combination of
At first Bubacz's Underground served only coffee and small pastries when it opened about 2 years ago, but it quickly became a full-service breakfast and lunch eatery.
John roasts his own coffee beans, using a roaster he recently acquired. He negotiates directly with farmers in Central and South America to get the beans shipped to America. Profits from the sales go immediately to the farmers, eliminating the share of profits that otherwise would go to distributors and wholesalers. In addition, he only buys beans that are organic and that meet fair-trade standards.
(Shown at right: John Bubacz with his coffee roaster.)
John hopes Sylva will become more aware of the importance of fair-trade and organic practices. "I do fair-trade because I want to see farmers in economically depressed regions of the world paid a fair price for their [coffee] beans," he said. "I do organic because the nutrition in non-organic products is inadequate and other methods of growing and creating food are environmentally destructive."
John's coffee roasting brings to Jackson County a mix of the old and the new, because he is partnering with Harold's Galaxy Supermarket -- one of the county's oldest businesses -- to carry his line of beans, which carry a "Signature Brew" label. Other businesses selling the beans include Papou's Wine Shop, the Harris Regional Hospital gift shop, Guadalupe Cafe, Jack the Dipper (all in Sylva), Mad Batter Bakeshop, and Cat's Nip Cafe (both in Cullowhee). Beans even can be purchased in bulk at the restaurant or at Jack the Dipper.
John came to Franklin as a boy more than 30 years ago, and has lived in Jackson County since 1990. After earning a degree in psychology, he worked in the mental health field for 13 years. But 8 years ago he made a jump into the food business, when he began operating the Whatcha Want? Bogega in Cullowhee.
(Shown at left: the restaurant's Mill Street entrance, at the back of the restaurant.)
Currently he employs 7 people, several of them full-time. His plans for the future include an espresso bar at his restaurant's Mill Street entrance and a full-size organic grocery store. One day, he says, he'd like to see a laundromat, bar and cafe in the same building.
Bubacz's Underground is open every day of the week, every day of the year, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Monday through Friday hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Extended evening hours will begin later this winter.) Free wireless internet and even a computer are available for customers.
The restaurant is located at 610 West Main Street in downtown Sylva, in the space occupied for many years by Hedden's Barber Shop, later known as Wimpy's (where Wimpy Hyatt cut hair).
Check it out!
(Shown below: John is busy with one of the unglamorous aspects of a restaurant business.)
Bubacz (whose name is pronounced boo-bah-ch) is the proprietor of Bubacz's Underground, a cafe and coffeeshop that's making waves among local patrons. Its slogan is "World's Healthiest Fast Food."
The restaurant is a delightful combination of- fast, friendly service,
- local, organic, hormone- and pesticide-free meats, dairy and eggs, and
- teas, coffee and juices.
At first Bubacz's Underground served only coffee and small pastries when it opened about 2 years ago, but it quickly became a full-service breakfast and lunch eatery.
John roasts his own coffee beans, using a roaster he recently acquired. He negotiates directly with farmers in Central and South America to get the beans shipped to America. Profits from the sales go immediately to the farmers, eliminating the share of profits that otherwise would go to distributors and wholesalers. In addition, he only buys beans that are organic and that meet fair-trade standards.
(Shown at right: John Bubacz with his coffee roaster.)John hopes Sylva will become more aware of the importance of fair-trade and organic practices. "I do fair-trade because I want to see farmers in economically depressed regions of the world paid a fair price for their [coffee] beans," he said. "I do organic because the nutrition in non-organic products is inadequate and other methods of growing and creating food are environmentally destructive."
John's coffee roasting brings to Jackson County a mix of the old and the new, because he is partnering with Harold's Galaxy Supermarket -- one of the county's oldest businesses -- to carry his line of beans, which carry a "Signature Brew" label. Other businesses selling the beans include Papou's Wine Shop, the Harris Regional Hospital gift shop, Guadalupe Cafe, Jack the Dipper (all in Sylva), Mad Batter Bakeshop, and Cat's Nip Cafe (both in Cullowhee). Beans even can be purchased in bulk at the restaurant or at Jack the Dipper.
John came to Franklin as a boy more than 30 years ago, and has lived in Jackson County since 1990. After earning a degree in psychology, he worked in the mental health field for 13 years. But 8 years ago he made a jump into the food business, when he began operating the Whatcha Want? Bogega in Cullowhee.
(Shown at left: the restaurant's Mill Street entrance, at the back of the restaurant.)Currently he employs 7 people, several of them full-time. His plans for the future include an espresso bar at his restaurant's Mill Street entrance and a full-size organic grocery store. One day, he says, he'd like to see a laundromat, bar and cafe in the same building.
Bubacz's Underground is open every day of the week, every day of the year, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Monday through Friday hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Extended evening hours will begin later this winter.) Free wireless internet and even a computer are available for customers.
The restaurant is located at 610 West Main Street in downtown Sylva, in the space occupied for many years by Hedden's Barber Shop, later known as Wimpy's (where Wimpy Hyatt cut hair).
Check it out!
(Shown below: John is busy with one of the unglamorous aspects of a restaurant business.)
Leave a comment